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A trio of officers lost their lives and more than a dozen additional individuals got wounded in an apparently premeditated gas explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy.

How It Happened

The explosion was triggered as law enforcement and fire personnel went into the house in the vicinity of Verona to enforce an removal notice for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

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

Investigation Developments

Two individuals got detained at the location and a third person who fled after the incident was found soon after. All three have been transported to the hospital.

The explosion could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and photographs from the area showed the property reduced to a heap of debris.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” commented the Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who mentioned that attempts had been made to displace the three family members in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

The head of the Veneto region, President Zaia, said the residence was subject to an removal notice due to unpaid amounts incurred by the siblings.

Mediators had been sent to engage the siblings who had barricaded themselves into the home. When the police reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators believe one of the residents triggered the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” regional commander the police commander told the media.

“A gas cylinder had been set off, and the explosion immediately struck our officers,” he said.

Petrol bombs were also discovered at the property, the Interior Minister said.

Casualties and Damage

Those injured by the blast consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as three members of national police and a emergency responder.

As stated by the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a derelict state and had lacked electrical service.

He was convinced the blast had happened on a level above the access point and told journalists it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the explosion, he mentioned personnel had “heard a whistle, likely the propane tanks being turned on”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants informed Italian media, noting that the three had previously threatened to “cause an explosion” rather than vacate the property.

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

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto united with other government officials in honoring the three men who had been killed in the performance of their duties.