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Three police officers lost their lives and more than a dozen additional individuals were hurt in what appears to be premeditated detonation from gas at a rural property in Italy's north.

How It Happened

The explosion was triggered as officers and emergency crews entered the residence near the Verona region to execute an eviction order for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three deceased individuals were members of the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

Two individuals were arrested at the scene and another man who escaped after the incident was found soon after. All three have been taken to hospital.

The detonation could be noticed some 5km (3 miles) away and images from the location displayed the property reduced to a pile of rubble.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” commented the Minister of the Interior the Interior Minister, who mentioned that previous tries had been made to displace the three family members in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

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

Negotiators had been sent to engage the brothers and sister who had barricaded themselves into the house. When the police reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials suspect one of the siblings triggered the blast.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno stated to the media.

A propane tank had been set off, and the blast immediately struck our personnel,” he said.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the residence, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Those injured by the explosion comprised 11 other members of the police force as well as three members of the state police and a emergency responder.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a derelict state and had lacked electrical service.

The official thought the detonation had occurred on a story above the doorway and told reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Moments before the explosion, he mentioned personnel had “detected a whistling noise, presumably the gas cylinders being activated”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants informed reporters, mentioning that the family members had in the past stated to “cause an explosion” rather than be evicted.

“The explosion had left a ‘terrible, very painful and dramatic toll’.”

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto joined other political leaders in honoring the three officers who had died in the performance of their duties.