Video of Underground Tunnel Goes Viral After Synagogue Discovery

A video showing an underground tunnel on social media has gone viral this week shortly after the discovery of a tunnel under the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.

"More footage of the underground tunnels discovered under Synagogues in New York City," Breaking News 24/7 wrote on X, formerly Twitter, sharing a video that takes the viewer down a set of stairs and into an underground area with tunnels large enough to walk or crawl through. Newsweek was unable to verify where the videos were taken.

Dozens of other X accounts also shared the video including one that received over 3.7 million views.

The videos come shortly after the discovery of the tunnels under the Chabad synagogue which is located at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. A spokesperson for the NYPD previously told Newsweek that officers were called to the synagogue on Monday following reports that "a group of individuals unlawfully entered" the location by breaking a wall. However, WABC news in New York reported that a dispute occurred when construction crews arrived to fill the tunnels and some individuals disagreed with the decision.

"Some time ago, a group of extremist students, broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue at 784-788 Eastern Parkway, to provide them unauthorized access. Earlier today, a cement truck was brought in to repair those walls. Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access," Motti Seligson, a Chabad spokesperson wrote on X.

In a statement to Newsweek, Seligson said that the videos posted on social media "don't appear to be under Chabad Headquarters." Newsweek was unable to independently verify that the tunnel in the videos is located under the Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn.

The video appears to have been originally posted on Instagram by Crown Heights Info on December 24 with a caption that said "Leaked video shows the Union Mikvah and tunnel that leads towards 770."

According to WNYW news in New York, several arrests were made on Monday following disputes between individuals at the synagogue and police officers over the destruction of the tunnels.

"At this time, it is known that a number of individuals were taken into custody...Charges are pending," a NYPD spokesperson told Newsweek on Tuesday.

Newsweek reached out to the NYPD via email on Wednesday for updated information.

A number of other videos were also shared on social media this week showing disputes between individuals at the synagogue and police officers who were attempting to close the tunnels.

"The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night," the Chabad-Lubavitch HQ wrote on X. "These odious actions will be investigated, and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored. Our thanks to the NYPD for their professionalism and sensitivity."