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A trio of officers lost their lives and more than a dozen others sustained injuries in what appears to be deliberate gas explosion at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

How It Happened

The explosion occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel entered the residence near the Verona region to enforce an removal notice for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three deceased individuals belonged to the Carabinieri force.

Investigation Developments

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the site and another man who fled subsequent to the explosion was located shortly later. Each of them have been transported to the hospital.

The detonation could be heard as far as 3 miles distant and images from the location displayed the structure reduced to a pile of rubble.

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

Property Situation

The head of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, stated the farmhouse was under an removal notice due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Negotiators had been sent to engage the siblings who had barricaded themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators believe one of the residents set off the explosion.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” regional commander the police commander told news outlets.

A propane tank had been set off, and the detonation directly hit our officers,” he said.

Incendiary devices were also located at the site, the Interior Minister stated.

Impact Assessment

Those injured by the explosion included eleven more officers of the police force as well as three members of Italy's state police and a fire services member.

Based on information from the prosecuting attorney, the property was in a poor condition and had lacked electrical service.

The official was convinced the explosion had happened on a story above the entrance and stated to the press it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Moments before the explosion, he said officers had “detected a whistling noise, likely the gas canisters being activated”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” local residents told reporters, noting that the family members had previously threatened to “blow themselves up” rather than be evicted.

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

Defence Minister the Defence Minister joined other elected representatives in honoring the three officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty.