"Head Popping Out of a Manhole"... Who Are the 'Mole People' Roaming New York?

Three Men in Work Overalls Crawl Out of Manhole
Debate Rages: Terrorist Reconnaissance or Treasure Hunters?

A video showing unidentified men in work clothes emerging from a manhole in the middle of downtown New York during the early morning hours has gone viral, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

A man wearing work clothes is crawling out of a manhole on a street near New York Penn Station. Photo by New York Post

According to the New York Post on August 24 (local time), a video was posted on TikTok on August 18 showing three men wearing connected work overalls with headlamps on their foreheads crawling out of a manhole on a street in Manhattan, appearing to scan their surroundings.

The video was revealed to have been filmed at around 4:20 a.m. near Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan on the same day.

Since this incident took place near New York’s busiest transportation hub and a major arena (Madison Square Garden), citizens’ anxiety is rising over concerns such as terrorism, as the background for their entry into the underground facility in the early dawn remains unclear.

A man coming out of a manhole is walking down the street. Photo by New York Post

This is not the first time New York has seen the appearance of so-called "mole people." The term "mole people" refers to the homeless living in abandoned subways, railways, storm drains, sewage tunnels, and heating pipe networks beneath major U.S. cities.

In May, the police also conducted a search after spotting three similarly dressed individuals crawling into a sewer from in front of an auto repair shop in Queens and other parts of Brooklyn.

Back then, the authorities dispatched an emergency response team to conduct a search, but no direct threat to the public or suspicious items were found.

The New York City investigation also confirmed that there was no significant damage to the sewage facilities. However, it has not yet been determined whether the recent incident near Pennsylvania Station was perpetrated by the same individuals involved in the incidents in May.

On August 24, the New York Police Department (NYPD) stated, "We are aware of the incident and are actively investigating it," adding, "No arrests have been made so far."

Those who saw the news speculated that the men may be "treasure hunters" searching for valuables in the sewer network. Meanwhile, experts advised the authorities to carry out thorough on-site inspections and strengthen security, warning that dangerous materials potentially left in the sewers could pose a threat to pedestrians or the road.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.