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Three members of law enforcement were killed and at least 15 others were hurt in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a farmhouse in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The blast occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel entered the house close to the city of Verona to execute an court-ordered eviction for a brother and sister trio in their late 50s and mid-60s.

All three victims who died served in the Italian military police.

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and another man who escaped following the incident was apprehended not long after. The trio have been taken to hospital.

The explosion could be heard some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the scene revealed the structure reduced to a mass of wreckage.

“We are in a period of mourning,” stated Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who added that attempts had been made to remove the three siblings in the earlier times.

Financial Context

The leader of the Veneto area, the regional head, said the farmhouse was under an removal notice due to debts accrued by the property owners.

Mediators had been assigned to talk with the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri came shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect a family member set off the detonation.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” local police chief Commander Papagno told reporters.

A gas canister had been ignited, and the blast directly hit our members,” he explained.

Molotov cocktails were also discovered at the site, the interior minister confirmed.

Casualties and Damage

Injured individuals by the incident comprised 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as three officers of national police and a emergency responder.

As stated by the local prosecutor, the property was in a poor condition and had no electricity.

The prosecutor believed the explosion had happened on a level above the doorway and stated to journalists it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the incident, he said personnel had “heard a whistle, likely the propane tanks being activated”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors told reporters, mentioning that the family members had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than leave the house.

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

Minister of Defence Minister Crosetto united with other government officials in paying tribute to the three officers who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.