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Three police officers were killed and no fewer than 15 people sustained injuries in an apparently deliberate blast caused by gas at a rural property in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The detonation occurred as officers and emergency crews went into the property in the vicinity of Verona to carry out an court-ordered eviction for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three deceased individuals were members of the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

Two individuals got detained at the location and a third person who fled subsequent to the explosion was apprehended soon after. The trio have been admitted to the hospital.

The blast could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and photographs from the area displayed the structure reduced to a mass of wreckage.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who noted that attempts had been made to remove the three family members in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The president of the region of Veneto, the regional head, explained the residence was under an removal notice due to debts incurred by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been assigned to engage the siblings who had secured themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials think one of the siblings caused 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 set off, and the explosion immediately struck our personnel,” he said.

Molotov cocktails were also discovered at the property, the minister confirmed.

Casualties and Damage

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

According to the Verona prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a dilapidated shape and had was without power.

The prosecutor was convinced the explosion had occurred on a floor above the doorway and informed the press it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the incident, he mentioned officers had “detected a whistling noise, presumably the propane tanks being activated”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants informed Italian media, noting that the three had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than leave the house.

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

Defence Minister Minister Crosetto joined other political leaders in honoring the three men who had been killed in the service of their country.