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A trio of officers lost their lives and no fewer than 15 others got wounded in what appears to be intentional gas explosion at a rural property in Italy's north.

Event Timeline

The detonation was triggered as police and firefighters went into the house near the city of Verona to execute an court-ordered eviction for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three officers killed served in the Italian military police.

Investigation Developments

Two individuals got detained at the scene and another man who fled subsequent to the incident was located not long after. Each of them have been admitted to hospital.

The explosion could be heard as far as 3 miles distant and images from the location showed the property turned into a pile of rubble.

“This is a time for grieving,” said the Minister of the Interior the Interior Minister, who added that efforts had been made to evict the three siblings in the past.

Financial Context

The leader of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, said the property was facing an removal notice due to unpaid amounts incurred by the property owners.

Mediators had been sent to speak to the family members who had barricaded themselves into the home. When the officers arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect one of the siblings caused the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” provincial police commander Claudio Papagno informed the media.

“A gas cylinder had been activated, and the blast immediately struck our officers,” he explained.

Petrol bombs were also found at the property, the interior minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Those injured by the incident consisted of eleven more officers of the military police as well as three officers of national police and a firefighter.

Based on information from the local prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a poor condition and had lacked electrical service.

The official was convinced the blast had occurred on a story above the access point and told the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Shortly before the incident, he mentioned members had “detected a whistling noise, presumably the propane tanks being activated”.

Local Response

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants told reporters, adding that the three had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

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

Defence Minister Minister Crosetto joined other elected representatives in commemorating the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the line of duty.