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Three police officers lost their lives and at least 15 people were hurt in an apparently intentional detonation from gas at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The blast took place as officers and emergency crews went into the property near the Verona region to carry out an court-ordered eviction for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

Each of the three officers killed belonged to the Carabinieri military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female got detained at the location and a third person who fled subsequent to the explosion was located not long after. Each of them have been transported to medical facility.

The blast could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the scene showed the structure turned into a pile of rubble.

“We are in a period of mourning,” commented the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who mentioned that previous tries had been made to displace the three siblings in the earlier times.

Property Situation

The president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, stated the farmhouse was under an court order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the property owners.

Mediators had been dispatched to talk with the family members who had locked themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri arrived shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities think a family member caused the explosion.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” local police chief the police commander told the media.

A gas canister had been set off, and the detonation directly hit our members,” he explained.

Molotov cocktails were also located at the site, the Interior Minister stated.

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the explosion comprised 11 other members of the police force as well as three members of the state police and a emergency responder.

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

The official thought the blast had taken place on a level above the access point and informed the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Moments before the incident, he said personnel had “noticed a hissing sound, probably the gas canisters being activated”.

Neighbor Statements

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors informed reporters, mentioning that the trio had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than leave the house.

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

Minister of Defence the Defence Minister stood alongside other government officials in paying tribute to the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the service of their country.