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Three members of law enforcement lost their lives and more than a dozen people got wounded in a seemingly deliberate gas explosion at a farmhouse in Italy's north.

Sequence of Events

The explosion was triggered as officers and emergency crews went into the residence near Verona to enforce an court-ordered eviction for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three officers killed were members of the Carabinieri force.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the scene and a third person who escaped after the blast was apprehended soon after. Each of them have been transported to hospital.

The explosion could be audible as far as 3 miles distant and images from the location revealed the building reduced to a pile of rubble.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who noted that attempts had been made to remove the three family members in the earlier times.

Property Situation

The leader of the Veneto area, President Zaia, explained the farmhouse was facing an court order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Mediators had been sent to engage the siblings who had secured themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect a family member caused the blast.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” local police chief Claudio Papagno informed news outlets.

A gas canister had been activated, and the explosion directly hit our officers,” he said.

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

Injuries and Destruction

The wounded by the incident consisted of 11 other members of the police force as well as three officers of national police and a firefighter.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a dilapidated shape and had no electricity.

The prosecutor thought the explosion had occurred on a story above the access point and told the press it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the blast, he revealed members had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the gas canisters being turned on”.

Local Response

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” local residents informed Italian media, mentioning that the trio had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted.

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

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stood alongside other government officials in commemorating the three men who had died in the service of their country.