A 150-year-old Dutch landmark was left in ruins after a devastating fire tore through an iconic church in Amsterdam during what authorities described as an “unprecedented” night of New Year’s Eve violence across the Netherlands.
The Vondelkerk, a neo-Gothic church built in 1872 overlooking the city’s famed Vondelpark, caught fire shortly before 1 a.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 1, according to Dutch authorities, RTL reports. Residents living near the site were swiftly evacuated as flames spread through the historic structure.
Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 10 hours before bringing it under control around 11 a.m. By then, the church’s 164-foot spire had collapsed, and little more than the exterior walls remained standing, De Telegraaf reported.
No injuries were initially reported, and the cause of the fire remains unknown and under investigation, The New York Times reports.
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Designed by renowned architect Pierre Cuypers—also known for the Rijksmuseum—the Vondelkerk functioned as a Roman Catholic parish for almost a century before being deconsecrated and later repurposed as a venue for cultural and secular events. The building had previously suffered a major fire in 1904, which destroyed its original tower.
The fire occurred against the backdrop of widespread New Year’s Eve unrest across the country. Dutch police said they faced exceptionally high levels of violence as celebrations escalated.
Nine Kooiman, chair of the Dutch Police Union, wrote on X that officers and emergency workers were repeatedly targeted with fireworks and explosives. She described the situation as an “unprecedented amount of violence,” adding that she herself had been struck multiple times and hoped all officers would make it home safely.
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Authorities arrested around 250 people nationwide as emergency services were inundated with calls, according to De Telegraaf. In Utrecht, southeast of Amsterdam, police reported being under constant attack by groups of young people.
The violence also proved deadly. A 17-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man died in separate fireworks-related incidents overnight, the BBC reported, citing local media.
Hospitals were strained as well. At a burn unit in Groningen, 19 patients were treated for injuries, including 10 children under the age of 15. De Telegraaf noted that this figure was double the number of patients treated after last year’s New Year’s celebrations.
