🔗 Share this article

Three police officers lost their lives and at least 15 additional individuals were hurt in an apparently intentional blast caused by gas at a rural property in Italy's north.

Sequence of Events

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

Each of the three officers killed served in the Carabinieri military police.

Legal Proceedings

Two individuals were arrested at the site and a third person who escaped subsequent to the blast was apprehended not long after. The trio have been admitted to medical facility.

The blast could be audible as far as 3 miles distant and footage from the area showed the building turned into a pile of rubble.

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

Background and Motive

The president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, stated the farmhouse was facing an eviction order due to unpaid amounts accrued by the siblings.

Conflict resolution experts had been sent to talk with the family members who had barricaded themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri came just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials think one of the residents set off the blast.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno stated to reporters.

A gas canister had been ignited, and the blast precisely impacted our members,” he added.

Molotov cocktails were also found at the residence, the Interior Minister stated.

Casualties and Damage

Those injured by the incident comprised eleven more officers of the Carabinieri as well as three officers of national police and a firefighter.

Based on information from the Verona prosecutor, the property was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

The prosecutor was convinced the explosion had occurred on a story above the doorway and stated to reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Just prior to the explosion, he mentioned members had “detected a whistling noise, likely the gas canisters being activated”.

Community Reaction

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants told local news, noting that the trio had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than leave the house.

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

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto joined other political leaders in honoring the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the service of their country.