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A trio of officers were killed and at least 15 others got wounded in what appears to be intentional gas explosion at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion took place as law enforcement and fire personnel approached the property close to Verona to execute an removal notice for three siblings who were older adults.

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

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female got detained at the location and another man who escaped following the blast was found shortly later. The trio have been taken to medical facility.

The detonation could be audible as far as 3 miles distant and footage from the location revealed the property reduced to a heap of debris.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” commented the Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who mentioned that efforts had been made to evict the three family members in the previous occasions.

Financial Context

The head of the region of Veneto, the regional head, explained the residence was facing an court order due to financial obligations accrued by the property owners.

Negotiators had been sent to engage the siblings who had locked themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri reached the location just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials think one of the siblings set off the explosion.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” regional commander Claudio Papagno stated to news outlets.

A propane tank had been set off, and the blast immediately struck our officers,” he explained.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the residence, the Interior Minister said.

Casualties and Damage

Injured individuals by the explosion comprised eleven more officers of the military police as well as three officers of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

As stated by the Verona prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a dilapidated shape and had lacked electrical service.

He believed the explosion had taken place on a floor above the doorway and stated to journalists it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the incident, he revealed officers had “heard a whistle, probably the gas cylinders being turned on”.

Neighbor Statements

“We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors stated to Italian media, noting that the three had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

“The explosion had left a ‘terrible, very painful and dramatic toll’.”

Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto united with other elected representatives in honoring the three men who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.