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Three police officers were killed and at least 15 others sustained injuries in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The detonation took place as police and firefighters went into the residence in the vicinity of Verona to execute an eviction order for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

Each of the three deceased individuals were members of the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman got detained at the site and a third person who fled following the incident was found soon after. The trio have been transported to the hospital.

The explosion could be audible approximately 5 kilometers away and photographs from the scene showed the property left as a mass of wreckage.

“We are in a period of mourning,” stated the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who noted that attempts had been made to displace the three family members in the past.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto area, President Zaia, explained the residence was under an removal notice due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Mediators had been assigned to talk with the family members who had secured themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri reached the location soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect a family member caused the blast.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno stated to reporters.

“A gas cylinder had been ignited, and the detonation directly hit our personnel,” he said.

Incendiary devices were also found at the residence, the interior minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the explosion comprised an additional 11 personnel of the police force as well as three members of the state police and a fire services member.

As stated by the prosecuting attorney, the building was in a derelict state and had was without power.

He was convinced the detonation had occurred on a floor above the entrance and informed reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the explosion, he said personnel had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the propane tanks being opened”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” local residents stated to reporters, mentioning that the three had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than leave the house.

“The blast resulted in a ‘horrific, deeply distressing and tragic cost’.”

The Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stood alongside other government officials in honoring the three officers who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.