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Three police officers lost their lives and no fewer than 15 additional individuals got wounded in a seemingly premeditated blast caused by gas at a rural property in Italy's north.

Event Timeline

The detonation took place as police and firefighters approached the residence close to Verona to enforce an removal notice for two brothers and a sister who were older adults.

Each of the three officers killed belonged to the Carabinieri force.

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and another man who escaped subsequent to the blast was found shortly later. All three have been taken to the hospital.

The explosion could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the location revealed the structure reduced to a heap of debris.

“We are in a period of mourning,” said the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who added that previous tries had been made to evict the three family members in the past.

Financial Context

The head of the Veneto area, President Zaia, stated the property was facing an eviction order due to unpaid amounts incurred by the siblings.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to talk with the siblings who had secured themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri reached the location soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials suspect one of the siblings triggered the detonation.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno informed news outlets.

A gas canister had been set off, and the blast precisely impacted our members,” he said.

Molotov cocktails were also found at the site, the minister stated.

Impact Assessment

Injured individuals by the incident consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as three members of Italy's state police and a emergency responder.

As stated by the local prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a dilapidated shape and had lacked electrical service.

The prosecutor was convinced the blast had taken place on a story above the entrance and stated to the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the incident, he mentioned personnel had “heard a whistle, presumably the propane tanks being turned on”.

Community Reaction

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” local residents informed Italian media, adding that the trio had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

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

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