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A trio of officers were killed and at least 15 others got wounded in what appears to be deliberate blast caused by gas at a rural property in northern Italy.

Event Timeline

The blast was triggered as law enforcement and fire personnel approached the residence near the Verona region to execute an eviction order for a brother and sister trio in their late 50s and mid-60s.

The three officers killed served in the Italian military police.

Investigation Developments

Two individuals were arrested at the location and one more individual who fled after the explosion was found shortly later. All three have been admitted to hospital.

The explosion could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the area revealed the property reduced to a mass of wreckage.

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

Property Situation

The leader of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, explained the farmhouse was subject to an eviction order due to debts accumulated by the three owners.

Negotiators had been dispatched to speak to the siblings who had locked themselves into the house. When the officers came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect one of the siblings set off the explosion.

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

A propane tank had been ignited, and the detonation directly hit our members,” he added.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the property, the Interior Minister confirmed.

Impact Assessment

Those injured by the explosion consisted of eleven more officers of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

As stated by the local prosecutor, the building was in a derelict state and had lacked electrical service.

He was convinced the blast had taken place on a floor above the access point and informed reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Shortly before the blast, he mentioned personnel had “noticed a hissing sound, probably the gas cylinders being opened”.

Community Reaction

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants stated to local news, noting that the family members had in the past stated to “blow themselves up” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister united with other political leaders in honoring the three officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty.