🔗 Share this article Gas Detonation Costs Three Law Enforcement Officers During Property Removal Procedure in Northern Italy The three deceased officers served the military police A trio of officers lost their lives and at least 15 additional individuals sustained injuries in an apparently intentional detonation from gas at a farmhouse in Italy's north. How It Happened The detonation was triggered as police and firefighters went into the residence near Verona to execute an eviction order for three siblings aged in their 50s and 60s. The three victims who died served in the Carabinieri force. Arrests and Aftermath A man and a woman got detained at the site and another man who fled following the explosion was found shortly later. The trio have been taken to medical facility. The explosion could be heard approximately 5 kilometers away and footage from the scene showed the property left as a mass of wreckage. “We are in a period of mourning,” commented the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who added that attempts had been made to evict the brother and sister trio in the previous occasions. Financial Context The president of the Veneto area, President Zaia, explained the property was subject to an court order due to financial obligations incurred by the siblings. Negotiators had been dispatched to talk with the family members who had secured themselves into the house. When the Carabinieri arrived soon after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect one of the residents triggered the blast. “Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” local police chief the police commander told the media. “A gas cylinder had been activated, and the detonation directly hit our members,” he added. Incendiary devices were also found at the site, the minister stated. Impact Assessment Those injured by the incident comprised 11 other members of the police force as well as three members of national police and a firefighter. As stated by the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a dilapidated shape and had was without power. The official thought the detonation had occurred on a story above the doorway and stated to the press it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Just prior to the incident, he said members had “detected a whistling noise, likely the gas canisters being opened”. Local Response “We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors informed local news, noting that the family members had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than be evicted. “The blast resulted in a ‘horrific, deeply distressing and tragic cost’.” Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto united with other government officials in paying tribute to the three officers who had lost their lives in the service of their country.