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Three members of law enforcement were killed and more than a dozen additional individuals sustained injuries in an apparently intentional gas explosion at a country home in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion was triggered as police and firefighters went into the property near the city of Verona to enforce an court-ordered eviction for a brother and sister trio who were older adults.

Each of the three deceased individuals were members of the Carabinieri military police.

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female got detained at the location and one more individual who fled following the explosion was located not long after. Each of them have been taken to the hospital.

The explosion could be heard some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the area revealed the structure left as a pile of rubble.

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

Background and Motive

The president of the region of Veneto, Luca Zaia, stated the residence was under an removal notice due to financial obligations accumulated by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to speak to the family members who had secured themselves into the house. When the police came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect a family member set off the detonation.

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

“A gas cylinder had been set off, and the explosion precisely impacted our members,” he explained.

Molotov cocktails were also located at the site, the Interior Minister confirmed.

Impact Assessment

Injured individuals by the explosion comprised 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

Based on information from the Verona prosecutor, the property was in a dilapidated shape and had no electricity.

He believed the blast had taken place on a level above the entrance and stated to reporters it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the blast, he revealed members had “heard a whistle, likely the propane tanks being opened”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors told local news, mentioning that the three had earlier warned to “blow themselves up” rather than leave the house.

“The blast resulted in a ‘horrific, deeply distressing and tragic cost’.”

Minister of Defence the Defence Minister stood alongside other elected representatives in paying tribute to the three officers who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.