🔗 Share this article Gas Detonation Costs Three Police Officers While Executing Eviction Operation in Italy All three victimized officers were part of the Carabinieri Three members of law enforcement lost their lives and at least 15 others were hurt in a seemingly deliberate gas explosion at a farmhouse in the northern part of Italy. Sequence of Events The blast took place as police and firefighters entered the property close to the city of Verona to execute an removal notice for two brothers and a sister aged in their 50s and 60s. All three deceased individuals served in the Carabinieri force. Legal Proceedings One male and one female were taken into custody at the scene and a third person who fled following the incident was found soon after. All three have been taken to the hospital. The explosion could be heard some 5km (3 miles) away and photographs from the scene showed the structure turned into a heap of debris. “This moment calls for sorrow,” stated the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, who noted that previous tries had been made to evict the three family members in the previous occasions. Background and Motive The head of the Veneto area, President Zaia, said the property was subject to an eviction order due to debts accrued by the property owners. Conflict resolution experts had been dispatched to engage the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the property. When the Carabinieri reached the location shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators think one of the residents triggered the detonation. “Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” provincial police commander Commander Papagno told reporters. A gas canister had been activated, and the explosion directly hit our officers,” he added. Incendiary devices were also located at the residence, the Interior Minister stated. Injuries and Destruction The wounded by the blast comprised 11 other members of the military police as well as three members of national police and a fire services member. Based on information from the prosecuting attorney, the farmhouse was in a derelict state and had no electricity. He was convinced the explosion had occurred on a level above the doorway and stated to journalists it was a “premeditated and voluntary homicide”. Moments before the blast, he said members had “heard a whistle, likely the propane tanks being activated”. Community Reaction “Everyone was aware the circumstances were severe,” local residents told Italian media, noting that the trio had in the past stated to “blow themselves up” rather than vacate the property. “The incident exacted a ‘dreadful, extremely sad and dramatic price’.” The Defense Minister the Defence Minister stood alongside other government officials in honoring the trio of personnel who had lost their lives in the performance of their duties.