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A trio of officers lost their lives and more than a dozen additional individuals got wounded in a seemingly premeditated detonation from gas at a country home in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion was triggered as officers and emergency crews approached the house in the vicinity of Verona to enforce an eviction order for three siblings in their late 50s and mid-60s.

All three victims who died served in the Carabinieri force.

Investigation Developments

One male and one female got detained at the site and one more individual who fled following the incident was found soon after. Each of them have been transported to medical facility.

The detonation could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the scene revealed the property left as a pile of rubble.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” said the Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who mentioned that efforts had been made to evict the three siblings in the past.

Property Situation

The leader of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, explained the property was subject to an eviction order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to talk with the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the home. When the officers came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators suspect a family member triggered the explosion.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” local police chief the police commander told news outlets.

A propane tank had been ignited, and the explosion directly hit our members,” he explained.

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

Casualties and Damage

Injured individuals by the blast included eleven more officers of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a emergency responder.

According to the local prosecutor, the property was in a derelict state and had was without power.

The prosecutor was convinced the detonation had taken place on a story above the access point and stated to journalists it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the blast, he mentioned officers had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the gas canisters being turned on”.

Local Response

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants informed reporters, mentioning that the three had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

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

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto united with other government officials in paying tribute to the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.