Amsterdam: Fire engulfs iconic Vondelkerk church during New Year celebrations; watch
A fire ravaged the spire of Amsterdam's Vondelkerk church on New Year's Day, causing partial destruction. The incident occurred amidst a night of widespread fireworks-related violence and attacks on emergency services across the Netherlands, leading to injuries and a nationwide mobile alert.
Image: X@/MarioNawfal
An iconic church in Amsterdam was partially destroyed after a fire tore through its spire in the early hours of New Year’s Day.The Vondelkerk, located next to the city’s well-known Vondelpark, collapsed in on itself as 2026 celebrations were underway.
The fire is believed to have broken out shortly after midnight and was quickly declared a major blaze and a regional emergency.The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The Netherlands saw a turbulent New Year’s Eve marked by two deaths linked to fireworks and what police described as “unprecedented” violence against law enforcement.
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Nine Kooiman, head of the Dutch Police Union, said there was an “unprecedented amount of violence against police and emergency services” during the night.
She said she herself was pelted three times with fireworks and other explosives while working a shift in Amsterdam, as cited by AFP. Shortly after midnight, authorities issued a rare nationwide mobile phone alert urging people not to contact emergency services unless their lives were at risk, as call centres were overwhelmed. Reports of attacks on police officers and firefighters emerged from across the country, including in the southern city of Breda, where petrol bombs were thrown at police.
An eye hospital in Rotterdam said it treated 14 patients for eye injuries, including 10 minors, with two requiring surgery.With an expected ban on unofficial fireworks set to take effect next year, fireworks were purchased in large quantities. The Dutch Pyrotechnics Association said revellers spent a record 129 million euros ($151 million) on fireworks.Although some areas had been designated as firework-free zones, the measures appeared to have had little impact.