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Three members of law enforcement lost their lives and more than a dozen others sustained injuries in a seemingly deliberate blast caused by gas at a farmhouse in northern Italy.

Event Timeline

The detonation took place as law enforcement and fire personnel approached the property close to the Verona region to execute an court-ordered eviction for two brothers and a sister who were older adults.

All three deceased individuals were members of the Carabinieri force.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were arrested at the scene and one more individual who fled following the blast was located not long after. Each of them have been admitted to hospital.

The detonation could be audible some 5km (3 miles) away and footage from the location showed the property reduced to a heap of debris.

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

Property Situation

The president of the region of Veneto, Luca Zaia, explained the farmhouse was facing an removal notice due to financial obligations incurred by the siblings.

Negotiators had been sent to engage the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the property. When the police arrived just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings caused the detonation.

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

“A gas cylinder had been activated, and the blast directly hit our members,” he added.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the residence, the interior minister confirmed.

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the explosion included eleven more officers of the Carabinieri as well as three officers of the state police and a fire services member.

Based on information from the local prosecutor, the property was in a dilapidated shape and had lacked electrical service.

He thought the blast had happened on a floor above the doorway and stated to the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the incident, he mentioned members had “detected a whistling noise, probably the propane tanks being turned on”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants stated to reporters, adding that the family members had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than leave the house.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister joined other political leaders in paying tribute to the three men who had lost their lives in the line of duty.