People emerge from Manhattan manhole near Penn Station, police investigate

Police confirmed that a group of roughly five people emerged from a manhole near West 31st Street and Seventh Avenue, close to Penn Station, shortly after 4 a.m. on Tuesday. The incident was captured on video that was later shared on social media. Witness Ricardy Fabre, who was waiting in line for concert tickets, recorded the scene and said he saw the individuals wearing dark clothing and headlamps, and noted a nearby idling car that might have been linked to the group.

"I couldn’t believe people would go down there. I couldn’t believe how many of them were there. I couldn’t believe what they were wearing, and then they had the flashlights attached to their heads," Fabre said.

The Department of Environmental Protection inspected the sewer at the location and reported that the infrastructure is safe, while reminding that unauthorized entry into the sewer system is illegal and hazardous due to toxic gases, unstable surfaces and flooding risks. Police have not indicated whether the Manhattan event is connected to the May incidents in Gravesend and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where groups of seven and eight people were observed entering and later exiting manholes. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.