Three police officers were killed Tuesday in Castel D’Azzano, near Verona, northern Italy, when a house exploded during a forced eviction.

The blast, triggered as officers tried to enter the two-story building, caused the structure to collapse, burying them under debris.

At least 15 other officers and firefighters were injured, and two residents—a 60-year-old man and a woman suspected of triggering the explosion—were hospitalized with burns; a third sibling was later arrested without resistance.

The family, involved in farming and cattle breeding, had longstanding financial troubles and had previously threatened to detonate gas cylinders during eviction attempts, the DW has reported.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed deep sorrow for the deaths and extended condolences to the Carabinieri and emergency responders involved.