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Three police officers were killed and more than a dozen people got wounded in a seemingly intentional gas explosion at a rural property in Italy's north.

How It Happened

The blast occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel entered the residence in the vicinity of the Verona region to enforce an removal notice for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

Each of the three victims who died were members of the Carabinieri military police.

Legal Proceedings

A man and a woman were arrested at the scene and another man who ran away after the blast was found shortly later. All three have been taken to hospital.

The explosion could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the area displayed the building reduced to a pile of rubble.

“We are in a period of mourning,” said Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who mentioned that efforts had been made to displace the three siblings in the past.

Financial Context

The head of the region of Veneto, the regional head, stated the farmhouse was facing an removal notice due to debts accumulated by the three owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to engage the siblings who had barricaded themselves into the property. When the officers came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings caused the explosion.

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

“A gas cylinder had been activated, and the explosion precisely impacted our members,” he explained.

Molotov cocktails were also discovered at the residence, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Those injured by the blast consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

As stated by the prosecuting attorney, the property was in a poor condition and had was without power.

The prosecutor thought the detonation had happened on a level above the doorway and stated to journalists it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Shortly before the blast, he mentioned officers had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the propane tanks being opened”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants told local news, noting that the three had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than leave the house.

“The explosion had left a ‘terrible, very painful and dramatic toll’.”

Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto stood alongside other political leaders in paying tribute to the trio of personnel who had died in the performance of their duties.