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Three members of law enforcement lost their lives and at least 15 people sustained injuries in a seemingly intentional gas explosion at a country home in Italy's north.

Sequence of Events

The explosion took place as police and firefighters went into the property in the vicinity of the city of Verona to enforce an court-ordered eviction for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three victims who died served in the Carabinieri force.

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female were taken into custody at the location and another man who escaped subsequent to the explosion was located not long after. All three have been transported to the hospital.

The blast could be noticed some 5km (3 miles) away and footage from the scene displayed the property left as a pile of rubble.

“This is a time for grieving,” stated Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who noted that previous tries had been made to evict the three family members in the past.

Property Situation

The president of the region of Veneto, the regional head, stated the farmhouse was facing an removal notice due to debts accumulated by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been assigned to speak to the family members who had secured themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri came shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators think one of the siblings caused the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno stated to reporters.

“A gas cylinder had been set off, and the detonation directly hit our members,” he explained.

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

Impact Assessment

Those injured by the blast comprised 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a emergency responder.

According to the prosecuting attorney, the building was in a derelict state and had was without power.

He was convinced the explosion had happened on a floor above the access point and informed reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Shortly before the explosion, he revealed personnel had “heard a whistle, probably the gas cylinders being opened”.

Community Reaction

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants stated to Italian media, mentioning that the family members had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

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

Defence Minister Minister Crosetto joined other elected representatives in paying tribute to the three men who had been killed in the performance of their duties.