Three police officers have been killed and at least 15 other people injured in an apparently deliberate gas explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy.
The blast was triggered as police and firefighters went into the house near Verona to carry out an eviction order for two brothers and a sister in their late 50s and mid-60s.
The three victims who died were members of the Carabinieri military police.
A man and a woman were arrested at the scene and another man who fled after the explosion was located soon after. All three have been taken to hospital.
The blast could be heard some 5km (3 miles) away and images from the scene showed the building reduced to a pile of rubble.
The head of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, stated the farmhouse was under an eviction order due to debts accrued by the owners.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi expressed grief, noting that attempts had previously been made to evict the family. It was clear we were dealing with people who would resist in some way, he said.
Mediators were dispatched to engage with the siblings who had barricaded themselves in the house. At around 3 AM local time, officers entered and believe one of the siblings ignited the explosion.
Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness, provincial police commander Claudio Papagno reported.
A gas cylinder had been ignited, targeting the officers, with petrol bombs also found at the property.
The injured included 11 Carabinieri officers, three state police members, and a firefighter.
Verona prosecutor Raffaele Tito described the farmhouse as in a dilapidated state with no electricity, and classified the incident as a premeditated and voluntary homicide. He mentioned that officers had heard a whistle, likely from the opening of gas cylinders, prior to the blast.
Neighbors reported that the family had previously threatened to blow themselves up rather than leave the house, suggesting a heightened tension regarding the eviction.
Minister Piantedosi lamented the terrible, very painful and dramatic toll of the explosion. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and other political leaders have paid tribute to the fallen officers, reflecting on their commitment to public safety.
