Overview
- Officials confirmed at least two fireworks-related deaths in Nijmegen and Aalsmeer, and police reported a young child died after being struck by a vehicle in Bergen op Zoom.
- Massive blazes included the near-destruction of Amsterdam’s Vondelkerk and a large Hillegom storage fire that prompted evacuations and prolonged firefighting.
- Police and firefighters were repeatedly attacked with heavy fireworks, and in Breda’s Tuinzigt even Molotov cocktails were thrown, leading to ME deployments, a water cannon and multiple arrests.
- Rotterdam-Rijnmond logged nearly 1,700 fire and ambulance calls—about 60 percent more than last year—as widespread car and container fires were reported across several provinces.
- Hospitals and regional authorities reported more fireworks injuries than last year, with trauma centers handling a heavier caseload through the night.