A 19th-century church in the Netherlands was devastated by a fire on New Year’s Eve, which destroyed its spire.
The Vondelkerk, which was built in 1872, overlooks Amsterdam’s famous Vondelpark.
Local authorities said the fire at the church began around 12:45 a.m.
The inferno raged for about 10 hours, eventually causing the neo-Gothic spire to collapse.
Dutch police reported “unprecedented” violence on New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Footage below:
Amsterdam — Police say they faced “unprecedented” violence on New Year’s Eve from mobs of youths.
The Vondelkerk church, which overlooks the largest park in the city, caught fire. The fire cause is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/SLLrli6jPi
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) January 1, 2026
More from The New York Times:
The blaze swiftly ravaged the Vondelkerk’s roof and collapsed its tower, and strong winds blew sparks and burning debris into the surrounding area, according to the area’s safety department. The authorities reported that the fire had been brought under control by roughly 11 a.m. and, citing a structural engineer, said the church walls would remain standing.
The cause of the fire was not yet known, and a police and fire department investigation, which was set to begin on Thursday, could take weeks, said Marco de Leeuw, a spokesman for the Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region, which is responsible for fire and emergency services.
The blaze occurred during New Year’s celebrations, and there had been many fireworks in the area, spurring speculation online that they could have caused the disaster.
Mr. de Leeuw said that there was no sign that anyone had been in the church at the time of the blaze and that no deaths were expected to have resulted from the fire. By around midday on Thursday, firefighters had not yet entered the church itself because it was still deemed unsafe to do so.
The church was designed by Rijksmuseum architect Pierre Cuypers, serving as a Roman Catholic parish for almost 100 years.
It was later deconsecrated and used as a cultural and events venue.
🇳🇱 Shortly after New Year’s, a major fire broke out at Amsterdam’s historic Vondelkerk, with flames engulfing the top of the church.
Built in the late 1800s by architect Pierre Cuypers, the former Catholic church later became a cultural and events venue after closing for worship… pic.twitter.com/8H3QGFnHzl
— Europa.com (@europa) January 1, 2026
“Unprecedented amount of violence against police and emergency workers. Here in Amsterdam where I’m on duty but hearing about it across the entire country. Lots of explosives/fireworks aimed at the colleagues. Myself already pelted three times. Really hope everyone gets home safely,” Nine Kooiman, chair of the Dutch Police Union, said on X.
Ongekend veel geweld tegen politie en hulpverleners. Hier in Amsterdam waar ik meedraai maar krijg t mee door gehele land. Veel explosieven/ vuurwerk gericht op de collega’s. Zelf ook al drie keer bekogeld. Hoop echt dat iedereen veilig thuis komt.
— Nine Kooiman (@NineKooiman) January 1, 2026
PEOPLE shared further:
Police arrested some 250 people across the Netherlands as the European nation’s emergency number became overwhelmed, De Telegraaf reported. In Utrecht, southeast of Amsterdam, police reported being “continuously attacked by groups of young people,” per the outlet.
A 17-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man were killed in separate fireworks incidents across the Netherlands overnight, the BBC reported, citing local media.
At a burn unit in Groningen, in the country’s north, 19 patients were treated, including ten under age 15, per De Telegraaf. That’s twice the number of patients treated at the unit after last year’s New Year celebrations.
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