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Three police officers were killed and more than a dozen additional individuals sustained injuries in a seemingly deliberate gas explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy.

Event Timeline

The detonation was triggered as police and firefighters entered the house close to the city of Verona to carry out an eviction order for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three officers killed were members of the Carabinieri military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and another man who escaped after the blast was located not long after. All three have been taken to hospital.

The blast could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the area displayed the property turned into a pile of rubble.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” stated the Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who mentioned that previous tries had been made to displace the three family members in the past.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, stated the residence was under an court order due to debts accumulated by the three owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been assigned to talk with the siblings who had locked themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings caused the explosion.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” regional commander Commander Papagno informed news outlets.

A gas canister had been activated, and the detonation precisely impacted our members,” he explained.

Petrol bombs were also discovered at the site, the interior minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Those injured by the blast included 11 other members of the military police as well as three members of national police and a fire services member.

Based on information from the local prosecutor, the property was in a dilapidated shape and had lacked electrical service.

The prosecutor believed the detonation had taken place on a story above the access point and stated to journalists it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Just prior to the blast, he mentioned officers had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the propane tanks being opened”.

Community Reaction

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors stated to reporters, noting that the family members had earlier warned to “blow themselves up” rather than leave the house.

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

The Defense Minister Guido Crosetto joined other government officials in honoring the three men who had died in the line of duty.