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Three members of law enforcement lost their lives and more than a dozen people got wounded in an apparently premeditated gas explosion at a rural property in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The detonation occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel went into the house close to the Verona region to execute an court-ordered eviction for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

Each of the three victims who died belonged to the Carabinieri military police.

Investigation Developments

A man and a woman were arrested at the scene and another man who escaped following the incident was found shortly later. All three have been admitted to medical facility.

The blast could be noticed some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the area revealed the property turned into a mass of wreckage.

“This is a time for grieving,” said Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who noted that efforts had been made to evict the three family members in the previous occasions.

Financial Context

The head of the Veneto region, the regional head, said the farmhouse was facing an eviction order due to debts accumulated by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to engage the brothers and sister who had barricaded themselves into the home. When the officers reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the residents caused the detonation.

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

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

Incendiary devices were also located at the property, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the incident consisted of 11 other members of the military police as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

According to the local prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a dilapidated shape and had lacked electrical service.

The prosecutor was convinced the detonation had occurred on a level above the access point and told the press it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Moments before the explosion, he said personnel had “detected a whistling noise, presumably the propane tanks being opened”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” neighbors informed local news, noting that the trio had in the past stated to “cause an explosion” rather than be evicted.

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

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stood alongside other government officials in honoring the trio of personnel who had been killed in the service of their country.