A fire broke out just after midnight on Saturday in a monumental church building next to the Lambertus Church on De Hermey in Veghel. Firefighters suspect fireworks may have caused the fire. The building is completely on fire from top to bottom, the fire brigade allows the building to burn out in a controlled manner.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade checks the area for so-called ‘flying fire’. Due to the strong wind, a shower of sparks is released that settles in the area, which can start new fires.
The building is the congregation chapel behind the Lambertus Church. A few years ago, a mosque was located in the building, which has since moved to Evertsenstraat in Veghel. According to the fire brigade, a witness saw sparks on the roof, which makes them suspect that fireworks were the cause.
Pastor removed
The pastor lives opposite the building, he was removed from his house by the fire brigade for safety. The fire service has the building checked and shields the fire as much as possible to prevent the fire from spreading.
The fire brigade is present with various units from the area, including tank sprayers, aerial work platforms and car ladders. They do this at a great height.
The building is located in the center of Veghel, near the Markt. More than a hundred people are standing on the street watching. The area around the church building has been cordoned off, so that the fire brigade can do its job.
National monuments
The church was designed by Pierre Cuypers. The outbuilding where the fire is raging is behind it and was also designed by Cuypers. Both buildings are national monuments.
Video footage on Twitter shows the tower of the building collapsing.