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A trio of officers perished and no fewer than 15 additional individuals were hurt in what appears to be deliberate blast caused by gas at a country home in Italy's north.

Event Timeline

The explosion took place as law enforcement and fire personnel entered the house in the vicinity of the Verona region to enforce an removal notice for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three officers killed served in the Italian military police.

Investigation Developments

A man and a woman got detained at the scene and another man who escaped after the explosion was apprehended shortly later. All three have been taken to the hospital.

The detonation could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the area revealed the building turned into a pile of rubble.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” commented the Minister of the Interior the Interior Minister, who noted that previous tries had been made to remove the brother and sister trio in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

The leader of the region of Veneto, the regional head, explained the property was facing an eviction order due to debts incurred by the three owners.

Mediators had been dispatched to speak to the siblings who had barricaded themselves into the property. When the police came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials suspect one of the siblings triggered the detonation.

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

“A gas cylinder had been ignited, and the detonation directly hit our members,” he said.

Petrol bombs were also located at the site, the minister stated.

Casualties and Damage

Injured individuals by the incident comprised 11 other members of the military police as well as three members of Italy's state police and a fire services member.

According to the local prosecutor, the property was in a derelict state and had lacked electrical service.

He thought the explosion had happened on a story above the access point and stated to reporters it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the explosion, he mentioned officers had “noticed a hissing sound, presumably the propane tanks being opened”.

Community Reaction

“We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors stated to local news, mentioning that the trio had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than leave the house.

“The incident exacted a ‘dreadful, extremely sad and dramatic price’.”

Defence Minister the Defence Minister joined other political leaders in commemorating the trio of personnel who had died in the service of their country.