A century-old church in Veghel, in the south of the Netherlands, is roofless after an overnight blaze. Police suspect fireworks are to blame.
Well, guys, we can safely say that the Dutch did what they did best last night: cause chaos and injuries with (often illegal) fireworks and carbide-shooting celebrations. Happy New Year! 💥
One victim of the “fun”: Lambertuskerk, a church built in 1890 was swallowed by flames fanned by strong winds just after midnight. The roof of the church is destroyed and the side walls have collapsed.
Hermey #veghel #brand #hermey #kerk pic.twitter.com/CNg5jfEpzz
— Patricia de jong (@patries88) December 31, 2022
Fireworks
A witness saw sparks on the roof just after midnight, leading the fire department to suspect that fireworks are the culprit.
Readers, we are shocked. Who would have thought uncontrolled FIRE in the AIR could lead to FIRES on the GROUND? 🧨
#vuurwerk #brand #Kerk #Veghel pic.twitter.com/mhUg7UhM8W
— Patricia de jong (@patries88) January 1, 2023
The church has monumental status, making it a protected building of historical importance, and a huge loss. It was designed by Pierre Cuypers who also designed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Because of the building’s significance, the fire department is continuing to try to save the exterior.
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Feature image: MHB Verkuijlen/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0 (Cropped and modified)/DutchReview
