Fire breaks out in 150-year-old Amsterdam church, spire collapses

News Topical, Digital Desk : A massive fire broke out in a 19th-century church in Amsterdam on Thursday, completely destroying it. New Year's Eve celebrations in the Netherlands were chaotic, with fireworks killing two people and violence against police.

The fire broke out early in the morning at the Vondelkerk. The church has been a tourist attraction since 1872 and sits opposite one of the city's most beautiful parks. Amsterdam authorities said the 50-meter (164-foot) tower collapsed and the roof was badly damaged, but the rest of the structure is expected to remain intact. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Violence erupted against the police

The head of the Dutch police union, Nine Kooiman, said the violence against police and emergency services on New Year's Eve was unprecedented. She said she had firecrackers and other explosives thrown at her three times while on duty in Amsterdam.

Shortly after midnight, authorities issued a nationwide alert to mobile phones, warning people not to call overloaded emergency services unless lives were in danger.

Two people died, three were injured

Reports of attacks on police and firefighters were common across the country. In the city of Breda, people threw petrol bombs at police. Two people were killed in accidents involving fireworks, including a 17-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man. Three others were seriously injured. Meanwhile, local police said in a statement that two 18-year-old boys died in the German city of Bielefeld after lighting homemade fireworks, resulting in facial injuries.

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