🔗 Share this article

Three members of law enforcement were killed and at least 15 additional individuals got wounded in an apparently premeditated detonation from gas at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

Sequence of Events

The explosion occurred as police and firefighters entered the residence in the vicinity of the Verona region to execute an court-ordered eviction for a brother and sister trio aged in their 50s and 60s.

The three officers killed belonged to the Italian military police.

Arrests and Aftermath

One male and one female were taken into custody at the location and another man who escaped after the blast was found soon after. Each of them have been transported to hospital.

The blast could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and photographs from the area showed the structure turned into a mass of wreckage.

“This is a time for grieving,” stated the Minister of the Interior Minister Piantedosi, who noted that attempts had been made to displace the brother and sister trio in the earlier times.

Financial Context

The head of the region of Veneto, President Zaia, stated the residence was under an removal notice due to financial obligations incurred by the property owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been dispatched to talk with the family members who had secured themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri came just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators think a family member caused the detonation.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” regional commander Commander Papagno told news outlets.

A gas canister had been set off, and the blast directly hit our members,” he explained.

Petrol bombs were also located at the property, the Interior Minister said.

Injuries and Destruction

Injured individuals by the blast comprised an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a fire services member.

As stated by the prosecuting attorney, the building was in a dilapidated shape and had lacked electrical service.

The prosecutor was convinced the blast had taken place on a level above the entrance and told the press it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Moments before the incident, he revealed personnel had “noticed a hissing sound, presumably the propane tanks being turned on”.

Community Reaction

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” local residents informed Italian media, mentioning that the trio had earlier warned to “cause an explosion” rather than leave the house.

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

The Defense Minister Minister Crosetto joined other political leaders in paying tribute to the three officers who had been killed in the service of their country.