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Three police officers lost their lives and more than a dozen others were hurt in a seemingly deliberate gas explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy.

Event Timeline

The explosion occurred as police and firefighters went into the house close to the city of Verona to enforce an court-ordered eviction for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three officers killed served in the Carabinieri force.

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and a third person who escaped subsequent to the blast was located not long after. All three have been transported to medical facility.

The blast could be audible some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the area revealed the property turned into a pile of rubble.

“This is a time for grieving,” said the Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who added that attempts had been made to remove the three family members in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto region, the regional head, said the farmhouse was facing an court order due to debts accumulated by the three owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been dispatched to talk with the siblings who had secured themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri arrived shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect one of the residents set off the detonation.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” regional commander Commander Papagno stated to news outlets.

A propane tank had been set off, and the explosion immediately struck our members,” he said.

Petrol bombs were also discovered at the property, the Interior Minister confirmed.

Impact Assessment

The wounded by the explosion included 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as three officers of national police and a firefighter.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a derelict state and had was without power.

The official thought the detonation had occurred on a level above the doorway and stated to journalists it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Shortly before the explosion, he revealed personnel had “heard a whistle, likely the gas cylinders being opened”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants stated to reporters, mentioning that the family members had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto united with other political leaders in paying tribute to the three men who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.