The tower of the Vondel Church in Amsterdam caught fire.Image: keystone
In the Netherlands, the last New Year, when firecrackers and rockets are allowed, was turbulent.
01/01/2026, 05:5601/01/2026, 05:57
In many cities, the police had to be deployed on New Year’s Eve due to violence, accidents and incidents involving fireworks. In Amsterdam, the tower of the Vondel Church in the center of the capital also caught fire, as the ANP news agency reported. The top of the tower collapsed and a large contingent of emergency services was deployed (see below for more details).
Riots in several cities
The emergency number in the Netherlands was overloaded nationwide on New Year’s Eve, which is why the authorities called on the population to only call the emergency number in life-threatening situations.
As the police in the large city of Breda reported, officers there were pelted with Molotov cocktails and paving slabs. Cars were also set on fire, a police car burned out and there were fights.
According to the police, officers were also pelted with heavy fireworks in the town of Roosendaal on the Belgian border and seven arrests were made. There were also tensions in The Hague, where officials were also pelted with firecrackers, as ANP reported.
According to police reports, the import of illegal, sometimes very dangerous firecrackers also increased. These have enormous explosive power; the police compare them to bombs and grenades. This year, around 112 tons of illegal fireworks were confiscated by the end of December.
Last year the total amount was around 107 tons and in 2023 it will be around 79 tons. The sale and setting off of heavy firecrackers has been banned for years. But private individuals can buy them legally in Belgium and Germany and then smuggle them across the border.
The burning church
The tower of the Vondel Church in the center of the Dutch capital Amsterdan collapsed, security authorities said. A large number of apartments in the area around the church were evacuated. According to initial reports, there were no injuries. The authorities warned of flying sparks due to strong winds. The fire brigade fought the flames with a large contingent. It was said that the church was significantly damaged.
The cause of the fire in the approximately 50 meter high tower, which broke out after midnight, is not yet known. The authorities called on onlookers not to come to the church and not to hinder the emergency services. The fire brigade tried to prevent the flames from spreading to the nave itself.
“It is a very violent and terrible fire in this monumental church,” said Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, media reported. “Our first concern and priority is now the well-being and homes of the immediate residents.”
The Vondelkirche was built in 1872 and was used as a Roman Catholic church until 1977. Today the neo-Gothic basilica is used for other purposes and for special events such as concerts. As early as 1904, a fire destroyed the church’s original tower. (sda/dpa/con)