Eerie Manhattan video shows 3 figures in headlamps crawling out of manhole before dawn

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: A strange scene captured on video in Manhattan has sent social media into overdrive: several people in protective-looking clothing and headlamps can be seen climbing out of a manhole before dawn near Penn Station.

The footage, recorded on Tuesday, August 18, around 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue, has been viewed millions of times online, with viewers offering theories ranging from legitimate underground work to a possible new scam.

The person who recorded the scene said there were five people involved.

Men climb out of manhole in viral video

The footage shows the manhole cover open on a Manhattan street as figures slowly make their way upward from below.

Wearing what appear to be overalls and headlamps, they emerge one after another, creating an unusual sight in an area that is normally busy with pedestrians and traffic.

The incident reportedly happened shortly after 4 am. 

The video was later posted to TikTok and Instagram and rapidly spread across social media, attracting millions of views.

The number of people visible in the footage has prompted particular interest.

While the video itself has circulated with varying descriptions, the person who recorded it said five people came out of the manhole.

The headlamps and protective clothing have also become a major talking point among viewers, many of whom have questioned what the group was doing underground at that hour.

NYPD is reportedly investigating the incident and has not made any arrests so far.

Similar sewer videos surfaced in May

The unusual footage has also revived memories of several videos that circulated in New York earlier this year.

In May, social media clips showed groups of men emerging from manholes in Brooklyn.

One widely circulated video showed a man opening a manhole around 2 am, after which several people climbed out near Bedford Avenue and McDonald Avenue.

Other footage later showed men emerging onto a roadway, with some appearing to carry shovels.

Those incidents also prompted an investigation by the NYPD.

A senior law enforcement official reportedly said at the time that investigators believed the men were most likely scavenging for valuables.

Police also sent members of the Emergency Services Unit into the sewer system to determine whether anything dangerous had been left behind.

Authorities said they found no evidence of a threat to the public and no damage to the sewer infrastructure.