Why are people climbing out of manholes in Manhattan? Here's what is really happening
Three people were seen climbing out of a Manhattan manhole near Penn Station, with police investigating why people are entering NYC's sewer system.
Three individuals were captured on camera emerging from a manhole near Penn Station in Manhattan during the early hours of Tuesday, August 18. The incident, which has baffled New Yorkers for months, was filmed by a bystander and shared on TikTok. The group, clad in black overalls and armed with headlamps, crawled out of the manhole one by one before fleeing the scene. The NYPD is currently investigating the matter, though no arrests have been made.
Officials believe the individuals involved in the manhole incidents may be migrants searching for valuables in the city's sewer system. The theory stems from a history of similar incidents in Venezuela, where a surge of nationals arrived during the immigration crisis that began in 2022. One senior law enforcement source told NBC News that the group in the TikTok video might have been seeking valuables that had entered the sewage system.
Other incidents involving groups of people entering or exiting manholes at night have been reported in Brooklyn. In one instance, a group left a manhole after about three hours, while another spent over two and a half hours underground. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) stated that entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous, as it poses numerous hazards such as toxic gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces.
The NYPD and DEP both emphasized that the sewer system should not be entered, as they conduct regular inspections to ensure public safety.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
