🔗 Share this article

A trio of officers were killed and more than a dozen others were hurt in a seemingly intentional gas explosion at a country home in the northern part of Italy.

Event Timeline

The explosion was triggered as officers and emergency crews entered the property near Verona to execute an court-ordered eviction for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s.

Each of the three victims who died served in the Carabinieri force.

Investigation Developments

Two individuals were taken into custody at the location and another man who escaped after the explosion was apprehended not long after. The trio have been transported to hospital.

The explosion could be noticed approximately 5 kilometers away and images from the scene displayed the structure turned into a mass of wreckage.

“This is a time for grieving,” said the Minister of the Interior Minister Piantedosi, who mentioned that attempts had been made to displace the three family members in the previous occasions.

Property Situation

The president of the Veneto area, President Zaia, said the residence was facing an eviction order due to unpaid amounts incurred by the three owners.

Negotiators had been assigned to speak to the brothers and sister who had barricaded themselves into the home. When the officers came just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities think a family member caused the blast.

“When we entered the property, we faced an utterly insane act,” regional commander Claudio Papagno informed the media.

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

Petrol bombs were also found at the site, the Interior Minister stated.

Casualties and Damage

The wounded by the incident consisted of eleven more officers of the Carabinieri as well as a trio of personnel of the state police and a fire services member.

According to the prosecuting attorney, the farmhouse was in a poor condition and had lacked electrical service.

The prosecutor was convinced the blast had taken place on a floor above the entrance and told journalists it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Shortly before the explosion, he said officers had “detected a whistling noise, probably the propane tanks being opened”.

Local Response

“Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” nearby inhabitants told local news, adding that the three had in the past stated to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted.

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

The Defense Minister the Defence Minister united with other government officials in honoring the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the line of duty.