Three police officers were killed and at least 13 others injured in an explosion at a farmhouse near Verona, northern Italy, on Tuesday. The blast occurred overnight as officers attempted to carry out an eviction in Castel d’Azzano, in what is believed to have been an intentional act.
Police arrested two men and one woman, all siblings in their 60s, who were the targets of the eviction. Investigators said the house had been filled with gas, and the explosion was triggered when the front door was opened as officers broke in.
“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” said provincial police commander Claudio Papagno. “A gas cylinder had been ignited, and the explosion directly hit our officers.” He described it as an intentional act and said the suspects were thought to be inside when the blast occurred.
Twelve law enforcement officers and a civilian woman were injured, according to firefighters. The building had been abandoned for months, with the occupants barricaded inside. Previous eviction attempts had been thwarted by threats from the siblings to blow themselves up, Italian media reported.
Verona’s chief prosecutor, Raffaele Tito, confirmed the three suspects face charges of “premeditated murder”, with authorities also considering charges of mass killing. Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed “dismay and deep sorrow” and paid tribute to the fallen officers.
