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Three police officers were killed and no fewer than 15 additional individuals were hurt in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a farmhouse in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The blast was triggered as police and firefighters entered the house close to Verona to carry out an removal notice for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

All three victims who died belonged to the Carabinieri force.

Legal Proceedings

Two individuals were arrested at the location and another man who escaped after the incident was apprehended shortly later. All three have been taken to the hospital.

The explosion could be audible as far as 3 miles distant and footage from the scene showed the property left as a heap of debris.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” commented the Minister of the Interior Minister Piantedosi, who mentioned that attempts had been made to remove the three family members in the previous occasions.

Financial Context

The leader of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, stated the residence was facing an court order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the three owners.

Mediators had been dispatched to engage the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri reached the location just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities believe a family member set off the detonation.

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

A propane tank had been set off, and the detonation directly hit our officers,” he said.

Molotov cocktails were also located at the property, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

The wounded by the blast comprised 11 other members of the police force as well as three officers of national police and a firefighter.

According to the prosecuting attorney, the property was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

The official was convinced the detonation had happened on a level above the doorway and informed reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Moments before the incident, he mentioned personnel had “noticed a hissing sound, likely the gas cylinders being turned on”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” local residents told reporters, mentioning that the trio had in the past stated to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted.

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

Minister of Defence the Defence Minister united with other political leaders in honoring the three men who had been killed in the line of duty.