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Three members of law enforcement were killed and at least 15 people were hurt in what appears to be deliberate gas explosion at a rural property in the northern part of Italy.

Sequence of Events

The detonation occurred as police and firefighters entered the residence near Verona to enforce an eviction order for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three victims who died served in the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the location and a third person who fled subsequent to the incident was located shortly later. The trio have been transported to the hospital.

The blast could be noticed as far as 3 miles distant and photographs from the location showed the property turned into a pile of rubble.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said the Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who added that attempts had been made to remove the three siblings in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto region, President Zaia, explained the property was subject to an court order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Conflict resolution experts had been assigned to talk with the brothers and sister who had locked themselves into the house. When the police reached the location soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings triggered the explosion.

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

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

Incendiary devices were also located at the site, the Interior Minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

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

As stated by the prosecuting attorney, the farmhouse was in a derelict state and had was without power.

The prosecutor was convinced the explosion had happened on a floor above the doorway and told reporters it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Moments before the blast, he revealed officers had “noticed a hissing sound, probably the propane tanks being turned on”.

Neighbor Statements

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants informed reporters, noting that the family members had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

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

Defence Minister the Defence Minister joined other elected representatives in paying tribute to the three men who had died in the line of duty.