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Three police officers were killed and no fewer than 15 people were hurt in what appears to be intentional blast caused by gas at a farmhouse in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The blast took place as law enforcement and fire personnel entered the residence near the Verona region to enforce an removal notice for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three deceased individuals belonged to the Italian military police.

Legal Proceedings

Two individuals were taken into custody at the location and one more individual who escaped subsequent to the incident was found shortly later. Each of them have been transported to medical facility.

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

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

Property Situation

The leader of the Veneto region, President Zaia, said the farmhouse was facing an court order due to financial obligations incurred by the property owners.

Mediators had been assigned to speak to the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the house. When the police reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings triggered the detonation.

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

“A gas cylinder had been activated, and the blast directly hit our members,” he said.

Petrol bombs were also located at the property, the interior minister said.

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the incident consisted of 11 other members of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of national police and a firefighter.

As stated by the prosecuting attorney, the property was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

The prosecutor believed the blast had happened on a floor above the doorway and stated to reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the incident, he mentioned officers had “heard a whistle, presumably the gas cylinders being turned on”.

Neighbor Statements

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” local residents stated to Italian media, mentioning that the family members had previously threatened to “cause an explosion” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto stood alongside other elected representatives in honoring the three men who had been killed in the line of duty.