🔗 Share this article Blast Takes Three Law Enforcement Officers While Executing Property Removal Procedure in Northern Italy All three deceased members worked the military police Three police officers lost their lives and at least 15 people sustained injuries in a seemingly deliberate blast caused by gas at a country home in Italy's north. Sequence of Events The blast was triggered as police and firefighters approached the residence in the vicinity of Verona to carry out an eviction order for two brothers and a sister in their late 50s and mid-60s. The three deceased individuals were members of the Carabinieri military police. Investigation Developments A man and a woman were taken into custody at the scene and another man who fled subsequent to the blast was apprehended soon after. All three have been taken to medical facility. The blast could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the location showed the structure reduced to a heap of debris. “This is a time for grieving,” commented the Minister of the Interior Minister Piantedosi, who added that efforts had been made to displace the three family members in the previous occasions. Financial Context The president of the region of Veneto, Luca Zaia, said the property was subject to an eviction order due to unpaid amounts incurred by the three owners. Negotiators had been assigned to engage the siblings who had locked themselves into the home. When the Carabinieri came just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), officials think a family member caused the explosion. “As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” regional commander the police commander informed news outlets. “A gas cylinder had been activated, and the detonation immediately struck our personnel,” he explained. Molotov cocktails were also found at the residence, the Interior Minister confirmed. Injuries and Destruction Those injured by the explosion comprised eleven more officers of the military police as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a emergency responder. As stated by the local prosecutor, the building was in a poor condition and had lacked electrical service. The official believed the explosion had happened on a level above the doorway and stated to reporters it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Moments before the incident, he revealed personnel had “noticed a hissing sound, probably the gas canisters being turned on”. Neighbor Statements “All of us understood the scenario was critical,” nearby inhabitants told Italian media, noting that the trio had in the past stated to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted. “The incident exacted a ‘dreadful, extremely sad and dramatic price’.” Minister of Defence the Defence Minister joined other elected representatives in honoring the three officers who had been killed in the line of duty.