A POLICE eviction turned into carnage in northern Italy when a farmhouse exploded in a fireball — killing three Carabinieri officers and injuring at least 15 others.
The two-storey building in Castel d’Azzano, near Verona, was completely destroyed after one of the occupants allegedly filled the house with gas, triggering a devastating blast the moment police forced entry.
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Officers had arrived to evict three siblings — two men and a woman, all in their 60s — after repeated refusals to leave and threats to “blow themselves up.”
Special Carabinieri units and counter-terror police were called in for the high-risk operation, some attempting to enter from the roof while others moved to break down the door.
As they reached the entrance, officers noticed a strong smell of gas seeping from inside.
Seconds later, an explosion tore through the farmhouse, collapsing the entire structure and engulfing police, firefighters and soldiers in flames and rubble.
Verona’s chief prosecutor Raffaele Tito confirmed the operation was also linked to a search warrant for possible Molotov cocktails inside the property.
He said: “It’s an incredible tragedy, absurd behaviour. I am incredibly saddened.
“Carabinieri and police tried to operate with maximum security and all the necessary equipment.
“But the outcome was unexpected and very painful.”
The explosion left three Carabinieri dead and 15 soldiers and police officers injured.
Among the home’s occupants, the woman was badly injured and taken to hospital with burns.
Two brothers were arrested, one of them also hospitalised, while a third family member fled across nearby fields and is still being hunted.
Investigators believe the gas buildup ignited as the front door was opened, instantly unleashing a blast that flattened the building.
Firefighters, already on the scene, launched immediate rescue operations.
“One of the bodies was pulled from the rubble only half an hour ago,” rescuers said, as flames continued to rage.
The farmhouse is now a smouldering ruin, with dozens of firefighters battling to extinguish the blaze and emergency vehicles working around the clock to treat the wounded.
Their rapid response was aided by the fact that medical teams were already on site to support the police operation.
The siblings had barricaded themselves inside and attempted to hide in a stable after the explosion, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
One was caught trying to flee, while the other remains at large.
Authorities have widened the search across the surrounding countryside.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the scene as a “terrible toll,” telling Uno Mattina that “when forced entry was made to this apartment, witnesses report that the smell of gas was immediately visible and the explosion occurred.”
The three fallen officers — two based in Padua and one in Mestre — were hailed as heroes by the Carabinieri Union.
“Respected and beloved by their colleagues, they honoured the uniform with humility, dedication, and altruism, even to the point of ultimate sacrifice,” said secretary Antonio Serpi.
“The pain of the loss of our three colleagues is profound and affects the entire Carabinieri family.
“We express our deepest sympathies, with emotion and respect, to the families of the deceased soldiers, to their injured colleagues, and to all those who are working amid the rubble with their customary courage and spirit of service during these hours.”
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