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Three members of law enforcement perished and no fewer than 15 additional individuals got wounded in what appears to be intentional blast caused by gas at a rural property in Italy's north.

Event Timeline

The blast occurred as police and firefighters went into the residence near the city of Verona to enforce an removal notice for two brothers and a sister in their late 50s and mid-60s.

Each of the three officers killed were members of the Italian military police.

Investigation Developments

A man and a woman were arrested at the scene and a third person who ran away after the blast was found not long after. All three have been taken to hospital.

The explosion could be noticed as far as 3 miles distant and photographs from the location revealed the property turned into a mass of wreckage.

“We are in a period of mourning,” said Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who noted that previous tries had been made to remove the three family members in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto area, President Zaia, said the property was under an eviction order due to debts incurred by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to engage the siblings who had barricaded themselves into the house. When the officers arrived shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators think one of the residents set off the detonation.

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

A propane tank had been ignited, and the detonation precisely impacted our officers,” he explained.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the residence, the Interior Minister confirmed.

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the explosion consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a fire services member.

According to the Verona prosecutor, the property was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

He believed the blast had happened on a story above the access point and stated to reporters it was a “deliberate and pre-planned murder”. Shortly before the blast, he revealed personnel had “heard a whistle, presumably the propane tanks being turned on”.

Neighbor Statements

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors told local news, noting that the three had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than leave the house.

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

Defence Minister the Defence Minister stood alongside other elected representatives in commemorating the three officers who had died in the performance of their duties.