The Hague
Reuters
—
Two people were killed in a fireworks accident in the Netherlands, sparking sporadic incidents of violence as the country celebrated the New Year, and in another incident, a historic church in central Amsterdam was burnt down.
In the Netherlands, people traditionally ring in the new year by setting off fireworks, which cause hundreds of injuries and millions of euros in damage every year. According to police, about 250 people were arrested on New Year’s Eve this year, and riot police were called out in several towns.
Police said in a statement on Thursday: “The impact of this year’s New Year’s Eve mass fireworks and arson attacks in some areas was absolutely devastating. Targeted violence against emergency services and police has once again intensified.”
Police said the fireworks accident killed a 38-year-old man in Aalsmeer, near Amsterdam, and a boy from Nijmegen, a town in the country’s east.
In Amsterdam, the neo-Gothic Vondelkerk near Vondelpark in the city center was destroyed by a fire that broke out just after midnight.
Amsterdam police and fire departments said they were investigating the cause of the fire at the 1872 church but had no comment yet.
New Year’s Eve 2025 marked the last year before the nationwide ban on the sale of fireworks to consumers.
Emergency room doctors, police, firefighters, and local and national politicians have been campaigning for a ban for years.
