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Three police officers perished and at least 15 people got wounded in an apparently deliberate gas explosion at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

Sequence of Events

The detonation occurred as officers and emergency crews went into the residence in the vicinity of the city of Verona to enforce an eviction order for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

Each of the three deceased individuals served in the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female got detained at the location and a third person who fled following the explosion was apprehended soon after. All three have been admitted to hospital.

The blast could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the scene revealed the structure reduced to a heap of debris.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who noted that efforts had been made to evict the brother and sister trio in the past.

Background and Motive

The leader of the region of Veneto, Luca Zaia, said the residence was facing an court order due to debts accumulated by the siblings.

Negotiators had been assigned to engage the family members who had locked themselves into the home. When the police arrived shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators think a family member caused the detonation.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno stated to the media.

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

Molotov cocktails were also found at the site, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

The wounded by the incident included an additional 11 personnel of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a emergency responder.

Based on information from the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a dilapidated shape and had was without power.

The prosecutor was convinced the explosion had happened on a story above the doorway and informed the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the blast, he revealed members had “detected a whistling noise, likely the gas canisters being turned on”.

Local Response

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors stated to reporters, mentioning 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 Minister Crosetto joined other political leaders in honoring the three officers who had died in the service of their country.