Why are people climbing out of manholes near Penn Station? NYPD probes mystery

NYPD has launched an investigation after a mysterious video went viral showing three people emerging from a manhole near Penn Station.

Law enforcement sources have suggested that the individuals may be hunting for valuables that fell through street grates into the sewer system, as treasure hunters have long been drawn to the allure of New York City’s sprawling 7,500-mile network in search of lost wallets, jewellery, and other items that may have slipped through the cracks.

The video, posted on TikTok, captures three people wearing headlamps and overalls climbing out of a manhole at 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue just after 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 25, just blocks away from the bustling commuter hub and Madison Square Garden.

The three people were caught scrambling out of the tunnels underground before making their getaway.

This is the latest in a series of cases that have been recorded in New York over recent months. During the summer period, security cameras filmed different groups of people entering and exiting manholes in the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Gravesend in Brooklyn. In one of the cases, people were filmed coming out after three hours underground. Another case saw people crawl out of the hole in a car after more than two and a half hours.

Authorities have urged the public to stay out of the sewers. The Department of Environmental Protection has warned that entering the sewer system is not only illegal but “extremely dangerous.”