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Three police officers were killed and more than a dozen additional individuals were hurt in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a country home in northern Italy.

How It Happened

The explosion occurred as officers and emergency crews entered the property near the city of Verona to carry out an eviction order for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three deceased individuals were members of the Carabinieri force.

Legal Proceedings

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the scene and a third person who ran away subsequent to the explosion was located soon after. All three have been admitted to hospital.

The detonation could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the scene displayed the property turned into a mass of wreckage.

“We are in a period of mourning,” said the Minister of the Interior the Interior Minister, who added that efforts had been made to evict the three siblings in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

The head of the Veneto area, the regional head, explained the farmhouse was subject to an eviction order due to debts incurred by the siblings.

Negotiators had been dispatched to talk with the siblings who had secured themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials suspect one of the residents set off the explosion.

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

“A gas cylinder had been set off, and the explosion directly hit our officers,” he added.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the property, the minister said.

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the blast included an additional 11 personnel of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a fire services member.

As stated by the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a poor condition and had no electricity.

He was convinced the detonation had taken place on a story above the access point and informed reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Just prior to the explosion, he revealed members had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the propane tanks being turned on”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors stated to reporters, noting that the family members had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than vacate the property.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister joined other government officials in paying tribute to the three men who had lost their lives in the service of their country.