Police killed in suspected booby-trapped house explosion in Italy

Forensic teams are reportedly examining gas residues and items resembling Molotov cocktails discovered at the site

Three Carabinieri, or officers of the Italian gendarmerie, have been killed and over a dozen people injured in northern Italy after a farmhouse exploded during a forced eviction operation, in what prosecutors suspect was a deliberate act. 

The property in the town of Castel d’Azzano, in the province of Verona, was occupied by three siblings in their sixties who had resisted eviction orders. They had reportedly been living there for about a year after taking over the abandoned farmhouse. The family, who had worked in farming and cattle breeding, was said to have faced long-term financial and mortgage difficulties and had previously threatened to detonate gas cylinders during eviction attempts.

The explosion occurred early on Tuesday, as law enforcement officers entered a two-story building to carry out a court-ordered eviction. The blast destroyed the structure and buried several officers under the rubble, officials have said.

Emergency crews recovered the victims after hours of search and rescue operations. At least 13 others, including police and firefighters, were taken to hospitals with burns and fractures.

Investigators say the house had been deliberately filled with gas cylinders before officers forced entry. Initial findings suggest one of the occupants triggered the blast, setting off an explosion that caused the building to collapse.

The two brothers were rescued and detained, while their sister, believed to have lit the fuse, was found later in a cellar. One of the men reportedly tried to flee but was arrested soon after.

The Verona prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into premeditated homicide, citing evidence that the explosion was planned in advance. Prosecutor Raffaele Tito said the suspects would be questioned later on Tuesday and that he was also considering filing a mass killing charge. Forensic teams are reportedly examining gas residues and items resembling Molotov cocktails discovered at the site.