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A trio of officers were killed and at least 15 additional individuals got wounded in what appears to be intentional detonation from gas at a rural property in Italy's north.

Event Timeline

The blast took place as police and firefighters entered the house close to the Verona region to execute an court-ordered eviction for a brother and sister trio in their late 50s and mid-60s.

Each of the three victims who died were members of the Carabinieri force.

Legal Proceedings

Two individuals were taken into custody at the location and one more individual who fled subsequent to the blast was located shortly later. All three have been admitted to the hospital.

The detonation could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the area displayed the building left as a mass of wreckage.

“We are in a period of mourning,” said the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, 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 area, the regional head, said the residence was facing an eviction order due to debts accumulated by the siblings.

Mediators had been sent to talk with the siblings who had locked themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators believe one of the siblings set off the blast.

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

A gas canister had been set off, and the explosion directly hit our officers,” he added.

Petrol bombs were also located at the property, the minister stated.

Impact Assessment

Injured individuals by the incident comprised 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as three members of the state police and a emergency responder.

Based on information from the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a poor condition and had was without power.

The prosecutor believed the detonation had taken place on a floor above the entrance and told reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Just prior to the explosion, he mentioned officers had “heard a whistle, probably the gas cylinders being turned on”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” nearby inhabitants told Italian media, mentioning that the trio had in the past stated to “blow themselves up” rather than vacate the property.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister joined other government officials in commemorating the trio of personnel who had been killed in the line of duty.