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Three police officers were killed and more than a dozen people sustained injuries in an apparently premeditated detonation from gas at a rural property in northern Italy.

How It Happened

The explosion occurred as officers and emergency crews approached the property close to the city of Verona to enforce an eviction order for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

The three deceased individuals served in the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the location and a third person who escaped following the explosion was apprehended shortly later. All three have been taken to the hospital.

The detonation could be audible as far as 3 miles distant and images from the area revealed the building turned into a heap of debris.

“We are in a period of mourning,” commented the Minister of the Interior the Interior Minister, who noted that efforts had been made to displace the three siblings in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto area, President Zaia, stated the residence was under an court order due to unpaid amounts incurred by the three owners.

Mediators had been sent to talk with the brothers and sister who had barricaded themselves into the property. When the police arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials believe one of the residents triggered the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” provincial police commander Claudio Papagno told the media.

A gas canister had been set off, and the explosion directly hit our personnel,” he said.

Molotov cocktails were also located at the property, the interior minister stated.

Impact Assessment

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

Based on information from the Verona prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a dilapidated shape and had no electricity.

He believed the detonation had happened on a story above the entrance and informed the press it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Just prior to the blast, he revealed members had “heard a whistle, likely the gas cylinders being turned on”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants informed Italian media, adding that the family members had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister united with other government officials in commemorating the three men who had died in the line of duty.