New York: A series of strange late-night sightings of people entering and emerging from New York City's vast underground sewer network has left residents puzzled and prompted a police investigation into what officials are calling an unusual mystery beneath the streets.
Security cameras have captured at least three separate incidents in recent weeks involving groups of people accessing sewer tunnels through maintenance holes in Brooklyn and Queens, often under the cover of darkness.
In one video recorded early Friday morning in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighbourhood, around seven people were seen climbing out of a maintenance hole in the middle of a busy intersection while vehicles passed nearby.
Some members of the group appeared to be carrying shovels and other tools, while wearing headlamps. One person narrowly avoided being struck by a passing vehicle while emerging from the underground tunnel.
Another video showed a similar group surfacing from a maintenance hole around 2 a.m. in Brooklyn's Gravesend neighbourhood. Police said the group had reportedly entered the sewer system around 11 p.m., suggesting they spent nearly three hours underground. After emerging, they changed into fresh clothes taken from parked vehicles nearby.
A separate incident on May 5 in Queens showed three people wearing waterproof hip waders and protective gear opening a maintenance hole and descending into the sewer. Surveillance footage showed the final person closing the cover behind them as traffic approached.
Residents left searching for answers
Aki Jakupovic, whose auto detailing business captured one of the incidents on surveillance cameras, admitted he had no idea what the individuals were doing underground.
He said he could not guess their purpose but feared they were "up to no good."
The bizarre footage has fuelled speculation among residents, with theories ranging from urban exploration to illegal activity.
At the Williamsburg intersection where one group was spotted, resident Anthony Purdie expressed scepticism that curiosity alone could explain the behaviour.
"They look like they were looking for something important, like money, or for doing some type of hurting," he said. "Ain't no fun and games. I mean, seven grown adults going down there? Got to be something, man."
Authorities say sewers are dangerous
The city's Department of Environmental Protection said inspections were carried out at the Brooklyn locations and confirmed there was no damage to sewer infrastructure. The Queens incident remains under investigation.
Rob Wolejsza, spokesperson for the department, warned that entering sewer systems is both illegal and highly dangerous.
"Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces," Wolejsza said in a statement. "For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall."
Police said they have found no indication of a threat to public safety after conducting sweeps of the affected areas. Authorities reported no injuries, no arrests and said the investigation remains ongoing.
The mystery comes only weeks after a fatal accident involving a maintenance hole in Manhattan. Last month, a woman died after falling into an open maintenance hole on a busy street, with utility officials later saying the cover had been dislodged by a truck.
For now, the identity and motives of the underground visitors remain unknown, leaving New Yorkers with more questions than answers about what exactly is happening beneath the city's streets.