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Three members of law enforcement were killed and more than a dozen others were hurt in an apparently premeditated blast caused by gas at a country home in northern Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel entered the property near Verona to execute an removal notice for a brother and sister trio in their late 50s and mid-60s.

Each of the three deceased individuals belonged to the Italian military police.

Investigation Developments

Two individuals got detained at the scene and one more individual who fled after the explosion was located soon after. All three have been transported to the hospital.

The blast could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and photographs from the location showed the property turned into a heap of debris.

“This is a time for grieving,” said the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who noted that efforts had been made to evict the three siblings in the past.

Property Situation

The president of the Veneto area, the regional head, said the residence was facing an eviction order due to debts incurred by the property owners.

Negotiators had been sent to speak to the family members who had secured themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri reached the location just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities think one of the residents set off the explosion.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” local police chief Claudio Papagno stated to reporters.

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

Petrol bombs were also discovered at the site, the interior minister stated.

Impact Assessment

Injured individuals by the blast included 11 other members of the Carabinieri as well as three officers of Italy's state police and a firefighter.

As stated by the local prosecutor, the farmhouse was in a poor condition and had lacked electrical service.

He was convinced the explosion had happened on a floor above the access point and stated to reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Moments before the blast, he revealed personnel had “detected a whistling noise, likely the propane tanks being activated”.

Neighbor Statements

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” neighbors stated to reporters, adding that the family members had previously threatened to “cause an explosion” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister Guido Crosetto joined other political leaders in commemorating the three men who had been killed in the performance of their duties.