🔗 Share this article

A trio of officers lost their lives and at least 15 others sustained injuries in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a rural property in the northern part of Italy.

How It Happened

The detonation occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel approached the property close to the Verona region to enforce an eviction order for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three victims who died were members of the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the location and a third person who fled after the explosion was located not long after. All three have been transported to the hospital.

The blast could be audible approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the scene showed the building left as a mass of wreckage.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” commented the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who noted that attempts had been made to evict the brother and sister trio in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, stated the residence was facing an removal notice due to unpaid amounts incurred by the three owners.

Mediators had been assigned to engage the siblings who had secured themselves into the property. When the officers reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect one of the siblings triggered the explosion.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” regional commander Claudio Papagno stated to reporters.

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

Molotov cocktails were also found at the site, the minister stated.

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the blast consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of national police and a emergency responder.

As stated by the local prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

He was convinced the detonation had occurred on a story above the doorway and told reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Just prior to the blast, he revealed officers had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the gas canisters being activated”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” neighbors informed local news, mentioning that the trio had in the past stated to “blow themselves up” rather than vacate the property.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister stood alongside other elected representatives in paying tribute to the trio of personnel who had died in the service of their country.