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Three members of law enforcement were killed and more than a dozen people were hurt in an apparently intentional blast caused by gas at a farmhouse in Italy's north.

Sequence of Events

The blast took place as officers and emergency crews entered the house close to the Verona region to carry out an removal notice for three siblings who were older adults.

The three officers killed belonged to the Carabinieri military police.

Legal Proceedings

A man and a woman were taken into custody at the site and one more individual who fled subsequent to the incident was located soon after. The trio have been admitted to medical facility.

The detonation could be audible some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the scene displayed the property reduced to a heap of debris.

“We are in a period of mourning,” said the Interior Minister Minister Piantedosi, who mentioned that efforts had been made to remove the brother and sister trio in the previous occasions.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, explained the property was facing an court order due to debts accrued by the property owners.

Negotiators had been dispatched to engage the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the home. When the officers reached the location just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities think one of the siblings caused the detonation.

“As we went inside, we encountered a completely deranged action,” local police chief Claudio Papagno stated to news outlets.

A propane tank had been activated, and the explosion directly hit our officers,” he added.

Petrol bombs were also found at the property, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

Those injured by the blast 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 prosecuting attorney, the building was in a poor condition and had was without power.

The prosecutor thought the explosion had happened on a floor above the entrance and told the press it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Moments before the explosion, he mentioned personnel had “heard a whistle, likely the propane tanks being opened”.

Community Reaction

“We all knew the situation was dire,” local residents told local news, adding that the three had earlier warned to “detonate the property” rather than vacate the property.

“The blast resulted in a ‘horrific, deeply distressing and tragic cost’.”

Minister of Defence Minister Crosetto united with other government officials in honoring the three officers who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.