Three police officers were killed Tuesday in an explosion during the forced evacuation of a house in Castell d’Azano, a town near Verona in northern Italy, officials said.
The blast occurred when officials tried to enter the two-storey building, which collapsed and they were buried under the debris.
What else do we know about the explosion?
At least 15 other police officers and firefighters were injured. According to Italian media, the evacuation had been planned for several days after the occupants refused to leave the property.
Preliminary investigation suggests that one of the residents caused the explosion.
Two residents – a 60-year-old man and woman, who are suspected of causing the blast – were pulled from the debris and taken to hospital with burns. The third brother was arrested hours later without resistance in a nearby field.
Local reports said the family, into farming and animal husbandry, had been in financial and mortgage trouble for a long time and had earlier threatened to explode gas cylinders during eviction attempts.
Deputy Mayor Antonello Panuccio told Italy’s Renews that “the three siblings had been hoarding gas cylinders for some time” and had threatened to blow up the house. The explosion occurred around 3:15 a.m. local time when officials opened the door.
Emergency teams continued searching the debris of the almost completely destroyed home throughout the morning. The victims were members of the Carabinieri, Italy’s national gendarmerie.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed “deep sorrow for the tragic death of the three Carabinieri and the other injured,” adding that he expressed condolences to the commander of the Carabinieri and “all the police and firefighters who serve the State with dedication and courage every day.”
Edited by: Wesley Rahn