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Three police officers lost their lives and more than a dozen others sustained injuries in a seemingly intentional gas explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The detonation occurred as police and firefighters entered the property near Verona to enforce an eviction order for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

All three deceased individuals were members of the Carabinieri force.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the scene and another man who fled subsequent to the incident was found soon after. The trio have been transported to medical facility.

The explosion could be noticed some 5km (3 miles) away and footage from the area showed the property turned into a pile of rubble.

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

Property Situation

The leader of the region of Veneto, the regional head, explained the residence was under an removal notice due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Conflict resolution experts had been assigned to engage the family members who had locked themselves into the house. When the police came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect one of the siblings caused the detonation.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno stated to reporters.

A propane tank had been set off, and the detonation immediately struck our personnel,” he said.

Petrol bombs were also located at the site, the minister confirmed.

Impact Assessment

Injured individuals by the explosion consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as three officers of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the property was in a derelict state and had was without power.

He thought the explosion had happened on a story above the doorway and informed the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Shortly before the blast, he revealed personnel had “detected a whistling noise, probably the propane tanks being turned on”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants told reporters, noting that the trio had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than be evicted.

“The incident exacted a ‘dreadful, extremely sad and dramatic price’.”

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto united with other elected representatives in commemorating the three men who had been killed in the service of their country.