Amsterdam church destroyed by New Year's Eve blaze

Amsterdam's Vondel Church, near one of the city's most popular parks, was largely destroyed in a fire just as New Year celebrations were in full swing, local media reported on Thursday.

The former Catholic Church's roughly 50-metre-high (164-feet) tower and the roof collapsed in the blaze, which an emergency services spokesperson said had made the 154-year-old structure "no longer salvageable."

"It is a very intense and terrible fire in this monumental church," lamented Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema.

The blaze was first reported shortly after midnight and was quickly escalated to a major incident, with firefighters calling in assistance from other regions of the Netherlands.

The Dutch navy deployed its 60-meter-high aerial work platform to help tackle the blaze, officials said.

Local media described how strong winds fanned the flames before the fire was brought under control on Thursday morning.

A large number of nearby flats were evacuated as a precaution.

No injuries were reported and investigators say they don't know what caused the fire.

However, speculation is rising that the city's New Year's Eve fireworks may have played a part, as the blaze started so close to midnight, after the pyrotechnics had been set off.

Amsterdam banned the sale of fireworks to the public in 2020, but many illegal ones were still set off across the city by residents.

Vondel Church was a neo-Gothic building, designed by renowned architect Pierre Cuypers, who was also responsible for the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Central Station.

The building had not been used as a place of worship since 1977 and had been repurposed as an event venue.

The church fire was one of several incidents that marred New Year's celebrations in the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, two people, a 17-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man, were killed in fireworks accidents in the Netherlands. Three others were seriously injured.

The eye hospital in Rotterdam said it had treated 14 patients, including 10 minors, for eye injuries.

The Dutch Pyrotechnics Association blamed an incoming ban on the sale of fireworks to consumers for a spike in sales, which may have led to the casualties.

It said revelers had splashed out a record €129 million ($151 million) on fireworks for New Year's Eve.

Dutch police also described an "unprecedented amount of violence against police and emergency services" during the evening and night.

Officers were reportedly attacked with fireworks, stones, and even petrol bombs in places like Breda.