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Three members of law enforcement perished and at least 15 people got wounded in a seemingly deliberate detonation from gas at a rural property in the northern part of Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion occurred as officers and emergency crews went into the property in the vicinity of the city of Verona to enforce an eviction order for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

The three victims who died belonged to the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female were arrested at the site and another man who fled after the explosion was apprehended not long after. The trio have been transported to the hospital.

The detonation could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the scene showed the property left as a mass of wreckage.

“This is a time for grieving,” commented the Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who mentioned that attempts had been made to displace the three siblings in the previous occasions.

Property Situation

The head of the Veneto region, President Zaia, said the property was under an court order due to debts incurred by the three owners.

Negotiators had been sent to engage the siblings who had secured themselves into the house. When the police came shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials believe one of the residents set off the blast.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” provincial police commander the police commander told the media.

“A gas cylinder had been set off, and the blast precisely impacted our personnel,” he added.

Petrol bombs were also located at the residence, the minister said.

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the incident consisted of 11 other members of the military police as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a fire services member.

As stated by the local prosecutor, the property was in a poor condition and had lacked electrical service.

The official was convinced the detonation had occurred on a story above the entrance and stated to reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Moments before the explosion, he mentioned personnel had “heard a whistle, presumably the gas cylinders being opened”.

Community Reaction

“We all knew the situation was dire,” local residents stated to Italian media, adding that the trio had earlier warned to “blow themselves up” rather than leave the house.

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

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto joined other government officials in commemorating the three officers who had died in the service of their country.