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Three members of law enforcement were killed and no fewer than 15 people sustained injuries in a seemingly intentional detonation from gas at a country home in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The detonation took place as police and firefighters approached the house near the city of Verona to carry out an court-ordered eviction for three siblings who were older adults.

All three victims who died were members of the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and one more individual who ran away after the blast was found shortly later. Each of them have been admitted to medical facility.

The blast could be noticed some 5km (3 miles) away and images from the location showed the property reduced to a mass of wreckage.

“We are in a period of mourning,” stated the Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who added that efforts had been made to remove the brother and sister trio in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The president of the Veneto region, President Zaia, stated the residence was subject to an court order due to unpaid amounts accumulated by the property owners.

Negotiators had been assigned to speak to the siblings who had secured themselves into the home. When the police came shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials think one of the siblings set off the blast.

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

A propane tank had been ignited, and the explosion directly hit our personnel,” he added.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the residence, the minister confirmed.

Impact Assessment

Injured individuals by the incident consisted of 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as three members of the state police and a firefighter.

Based on information from the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

The prosecutor thought the explosion had happened on a floor above the doorway and stated to the press it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Shortly before the explosion, he revealed members had “detected a whistling noise, probably the gas cylinders being opened”.

Neighbor Statements

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors told Italian media, mentioning that the family members had in the past stated to “blow themselves up” rather than vacate the property.

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

Defence Minister the Defence Minister stood alongside other elected representatives in paying tribute to the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the service of their country.