Fire Destroys 19th-Century Church in the Netherlands

A fire destroyed a 19th-century Roman Catholic church in the Dutch province of South Holland on Monday, November 4.

Dutch media outlet RTL News reported that the fire at the Church of Our Lady started when old paint was being “burned off” during maintenance work.

Photographer Patrick van Katwijk recorded this video, which shows the burning structure of the church building. The spire of the church later collapsed, as seen in footage posted by RTL News.

An update posted to Facebook by the Leiderdorp fire brigade stated that the church was entirely destroyed by the fire.

Speaking to Telegraaf, Father Jack Glas, the pastor of the church, described the impact the fire would have on his parish: “This is a drama for this community, the parishioners, and the many volunteers who put their soul and salvation into the church,” he said. Credit: Patrick van Katwijk via Storyful