Vondelkerk Blaze Collapses Tower, Triggers Evacuations in Amsterdam

Overview

• The fire broke out shortly before 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, tore through the upper church, collapsed the tower, and heavily damaged the roof.
• Dozens of nearby homes were evacuated, electricity was cut in the area, and no fire-related injuries have been reported.
• Firefighters brought the blaze under control by late morning, and a structural engineer said the church’s walls are expected to remain standing though the interior remains unsafe.
• The cause remains unknown and a joint police–fire inquiry could take weeks, with unconfirmed local speculation about fireworks noted by officials.
• Nationwide celebrations saw emergency services overloaded, the police union reported unprecedented attacks involving fireworks and Molotov cocktails, and two fireworks-related deaths were confirmed, with disturbances also reported in Belgium and Germany.