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Three members of law enforcement perished and at least 15 others were hurt in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a rural property in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The detonation was triggered as police and firefighters entered the house near the city of Verona to enforce an eviction order for two brothers and a sister who were older adults.

The three deceased individuals belonged to the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the site and another man who ran away subsequent to the blast was apprehended shortly later. All three have been transported to hospital.

The blast could be audible some 5km (3 miles) away and images from the scene showed the structure reduced to a heap of debris.

“This is a time for grieving,” stated the Minister of the Interior Minister Piantedosi, who added that attempts had been made to displace the three siblings in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, explained the property was facing an eviction order due to unpaid amounts accumulated by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been dispatched to engage the family members who had barricaded themselves into the home. When the officers reached the location soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect one of the siblings triggered the blast.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” local police chief the police commander informed reporters.

A gas canister had been ignited, and the blast immediately struck our members,” he added.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the site, the minister said.

Casualties and Damage

Injured individuals by the explosion included an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as three members of the state police and a emergency responder.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a derelict state and had lacked electrical service.

The official thought the detonation had happened on a story above the entrance and informed reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Just prior to the blast, he said members had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the gas canisters being opened”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants told reporters, mentioning that the family members had earlier warned to “blow themselves up” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister Guido Crosetto united with other political leaders in paying tribute to the three officers who had died in the performance of their duties.