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Three police officers perished and at least 15 others sustained injuries in a seemingly intentional blast caused by gas at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

How It Happened

The explosion took place as police and firefighters went into the house close to the Verona region to execute an removal notice for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three officers killed were members of the Carabinieri force.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female were arrested at the site and another man who fled following the explosion was found not long after. All three have been admitted to medical facility.

The detonation could be audible some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the location displayed the building left as a heap of debris.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said the Minister of the Interior Minister Piantedosi, who mentioned that previous tries had been made to evict the three family members in the earlier times.

Financial Context

The president of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, stated the residence was under an eviction order due to financial obligations incurred by the property owners.

Negotiators had been sent to engage the brothers and sister who had locked themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri arrived shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators believe one of the siblings set off the blast.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” local police chief the police commander informed news outlets.

A propane tank had been ignited, and the explosion immediately struck our officers,” he added.

Molotov cocktails were also located at the residence, the interior minister said.

Casualties and Damage

Those injured by the blast comprised eleven more officers of the military police as well as three members of national police and a emergency responder.

According to the local prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a derelict state and had was without power.

The official was convinced the detonation had happened on a floor above the access point and stated to journalists it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Moments before the incident, he said personnel had “detected a whistling noise, likely the gas cylinders being turned on”.

Neighbor Statements

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” local residents told Italian media, adding that the family members had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than be evicted.

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

Defence Minister Minister Crosetto stood alongside other elected representatives in paying tribute to the three officers who had lost their lives in the service of their country.