ROME: Three police officers were killed and a dozen people were injured in Italy overnight after an explosion in a house during an attempted eviction, firefighters said on Tuesday.
Two people, a brother and sister in their 60s, were arrested and a third family member fled, according to the ANSA news agency.
The house in Castel d’Azzano, near Verona, was filled with gas and the explosion was triggered when the front door was opened during the overnight operation, ANSA said, citing sources close to investigators.
It said the police had been trying to evict the three siblings, who had previously threatened to blow themselves up.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni led tributes to the victims, whose bodies were extracted from the rubble of the house, and said she was following developments.
Twelve law enforcement officers and a civilian woman were injured, firefighters said in a statement on X.