Firework accidents kill two in Netherlands as fire ravages Amsterdam church

The Neo-Gothic Vondelkerk, a 19th-century Roman Catholic church, has been utilized for different purposes since the 1970s.

‌Two radical person died successful the Netherlands successful fireworks ‍accidents, and determination ‍were scattered instances of unit arsenic the state celebrated the New Year. In a abstracted incident, a occurrence mostly destroyed a 19th-century religion successful Amsterdam.

The blaze broke retired successful the aboriginal hours of Thursday astatine the Neo-Gothic Vondelkerk, a tourer attraction that has overlooked the superior city’s cardinal Vondelpark since 1872.

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The 50-metre-high (164-foot) operation collapsed, and the extortion was severely damaged, but the operation was expected to stay intact, Amsterdam authorities said.

The origin of the blaze was not instantly clear. Emergency services had brought the occurrence nether power by the morning.

There were nary injuries successful the occurrence astatine the church.

A ample fig of flats successful the vicinity were evacuated, and astir 90 households were temporarily without power.

Strong winds fanned the flames and caused sparks to fly.

“It is simply a precise aggravated and unspeakable occurrence successful this monumental church,” said Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, Dutch media reported. “Our archetypal interest and precedence present is the wellbeing and homes of the contiguous residents.”

The Vondel Church was utilized arsenic a Roman Catholic religion until 1977. Most recently, it was utilized for different purposes and peculiar occasions specified arsenic concerts. In 1904, a occurrence destroyed the church’s archetypal tower.

Separately, the caput of the Dutch Police Union, Nine Kooiman, reported an “unprecedented magnitude of unit against constabulary and exigency services” crossed the state implicit New Year’s Eve, erstwhile immoderate 250 radical were arrested, and successful respective towns riot constabulary were deployed.

Kooiman said she had been pelted 3 times by fireworks and different explosives arsenic she worked a displacement successful Amsterdam.

In the confederate metropolis of Breda, radical threw petrol bombs astatine police.

Separate fireworks accidents killed a 38-year-old antheral successful Aalsmeer, adjacent to Amsterdam, and a 17-year-old lad from Nijmegen, a municipality successful the eastbound of the country, constabulary said. Three others were earnestly injured.

The oculus infirmary successful Rotterdam said it had treated 14 patients, including 10 minors, for oculus injuries. Two underwent surgery.

New Year’s Eve 2025 marked the past twelvemonth earlier a nationwide prohibition connected the merchantability of fireworks to consumers volition travel into effect.

According to the Dutch Pyrotechnics Association, revellers splashed retired a grounds 129 cardinal euros ($151m) connected fireworks.

Some areas had been designated firework-free zones, but this appeared to person small effect.

A writer with the AFP quality bureau successful specified a portion successful The Hague reported large bangs until astir 3am.

Similar scenes of unit were reported successful different European countries.

In Belgium, for instance, constabulary made scores of arrests arsenic officers successful Brussels and Antwerp were targeted with fireworks, with a New Year’s prohibition connected their usage failing to forestall chaotic scenes successful some cities.

Police utilized teardrop state and arrested much than 100 radical successful the larboard metropolis of Antwerp, wherever minors arsenic young arsenic 10 and 11 targeted officers and exigency services with fireworks and stones, mounting occurrence to bikes, cars and rubbish bins, a spokesperson told AFP.

Authorities confiscated a fig of “very dangerous” professional-grade fireworks, the spokesperson said.

Likewise, successful the Belgian capital, Brussels, constabulary said they were “repeatedly” targeted with fireworks, making immoderate 70 arrests overnight.