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A trio of officers perished and no fewer than 15 others sustained injuries in a seemingly intentional gas explosion at a country home in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion occurred as police and firefighters approached the residence close to the Verona region to execute an court-ordered eviction for a brother and sister trio in their late 50s and mid-60s.

Each of the three deceased individuals served in the Carabinieri military police.

Legal Proceedings

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the site and one more individual who fled after the blast was located shortly later. The trio have been transported to hospital.

The explosion could be audible some 5km (3 miles) away and footage from the area revealed the property left as a pile of rubble.

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

Financial Context

The leader of the Veneto region, President Zaia, explained the residence was under an removal notice due to financial obligations accumulated by the three owners.

Negotiators had been sent to engage the family members who had locked themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect one of the siblings triggered the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” local police chief Claudio Papagno stated to reporters.

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

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

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the explosion included an additional 11 personnel of the police force as well as three officers of national police and a emergency responder.

According to the prosecuting attorney, the farmhouse was in a poor condition and had was without power.

The official believed the explosion had occurred on a level above the entrance and told journalists it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the incident, he mentioned members had “detected a whistling noise, likely the propane tanks being activated”.

Neighbor Statements

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors told reporters, noting that the family members had in the past stated to “blow themselves up” rather than vacate the property.

“The blast resulted in a ‘horrific, deeply distressing and tragic cost’.”

The Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stood alongside other government officials in paying tribute to the three officers who had died in the line of duty.