By Mark Tanos
Fire destroyed a 150-year-old Amsterdam church early New Year’s Day as Dutch police faced record levels of violence across the country.
Officials said the fire at the Vondelkerk started around 12:45 a.m. local time, with flames blazing through the neo-Gothic spire, according to The New York Times (NYT). The fire spread across the roof and fierce winds blew burning debris and sparks into nearby streets, with firefighters eventually bringing the fire under control by around 11 a.m., the Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region (AASR) said.
Local authorities evacuated surrounding residences and cut power to the area overnight. A temporary shelter housed dozens of displaced residents, the NYT reported. A structural engineer confirmed the church walls would stay standing despite the extensive damage, according to the AASR.
Marco de Leeuw, a spokesman for the AASR, said investigators found no indications anyone was inside the building when the fire started. He added that the cause of the blaze was unknown and an investigation was ongoing. (RELATED: Paris Cancels NYE Party Amid Concerns Over Migrant Crisis)
The Vondelkerk was constructed in the 1870s and designed by Pierre Cuypers, the architect behind Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and Central Station. The church lost its first spire in a 1904 fire. Many fireworks were set off in the area during New Year’s celebrations.
Officers throughout the Netherlands reported attacks during the holiday, according to the BBC. Nine Kooiman, leader of the Dutch Police Union, said police faced an “unprecedented” degree of violence that night. Kooiman alleged she was pelted with fireworks and additional explosives while working in Amsterdam.
Petrol bombs were allegedly lobbed at police in Breda, a southern city. Reports of assaults against officers and firefighters came from cities nationwide.
Rotterdam’s eye hospital said they cared for 14 patients’ eye injuries. Ten were minors and two required surgery.
A 38-year-old man from Aalsmeer and a 17-year-old boy from Nijmegen reportedly died in separate fireworks incidents.
The Netherlands is set to ban consumer fireworks sales starting in 2026, a move that drove a rise in sales ahead of the most recent New Year’s celebrations, according to Euronews.
