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Three police officers perished and no fewer than 15 additional individuals got wounded in a seemingly deliberate blast caused by gas at a rural property in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The blast occurred as officers and emergency crews went into the house in the vicinity of the Verona region to enforce an removal notice for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three deceased individuals served in the Carabinieri military police.

Legal Proceedings

One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and another man who escaped following the incident was found shortly later. The trio have been transported to hospital.

The detonation could be noticed some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the scene revealed the building reduced to a heap of debris.

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

Background and Motive

The president of the Veneto area, President Zaia, said the residence was subject to an eviction order due to debts accumulated by the siblings.

Mediators had been assigned to speak to the brothers and sister who had locked themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri came soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe one of the siblings set off the blast.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” regional commander Commander Papagno told reporters.

“A gas cylinder had been ignited, and the detonation immediately struck our members,” he explained.

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

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the blast included 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as three officers of Italy's state police and a emergency responder.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a poor condition and had was without power.

He believed the blast had taken place on a story above the access point and stated to reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Shortly before the explosion, he said officers had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the gas cylinders being activated”.

Local Response

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” neighbors informed local news, noting that the three had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted.

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

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