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Three police officers were killed 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 blast was triggered as police and firefighters went into the residence close to the Verona region to enforce an removal notice for two brothers and a sister who were older adults.

All three officers killed belonged to the Italian military police.

Legal Proceedings

Two individuals got detained at the location and another man who escaped after the explosion was found soon after. The trio have been admitted to medical facility.

The explosion could be audible approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the scene revealed the building reduced to a heap of debris.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who mentioned that attempts had been made to evict the brother and sister trio in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The leader of the region of Veneto, Luca Zaia, said the farmhouse was subject to an court order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the property owners.

Mediators had been sent to engage the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the property. When the officers came just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings triggered the blast.

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

“A gas cylinder had been set off, and the detonation directly hit our members,” he said.

Molotov cocktails were also discovered at the site, the interior minister confirmed.

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the explosion comprised eleven more officers of the Carabinieri as well as a trio of personnel of national police and a firefighter.

According to the local prosecutor, the building was in a dilapidated shape and had was without power.

The prosecutor thought the explosion had occurred on a floor above the doorway and stated to journalists it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Shortly before the explosion, he revealed officers had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the propane tanks being opened”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” local residents told local news, mentioning that the trio had earlier warned to “blow themselves up” rather than be evicted.

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

Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto joined other political leaders in honoring the three men who had been killed in the line of duty.