'Something sinister happening': Netizens confused over secret tunnel below NY synagogue
New York Police discovered a secret tunnel under a synagogue
As many as 12 Hasidic Jewish worshippers were arrested after a Brooklyn synagogue became the centre of chaos on Monday (Jan 8) over a 'tunnel'. TheNew York Police Department (NYPD) had arrived at the place of worship to fill a secret tunnel but was quickly swarmed by protesters. The videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, giving way to a host of conspiracy theories.
In one of the video clips, a stained mattress could be seen lying abandoned while another footage showeda baby rocker, sparking concerns as to what was going on inside the illegal structure.
One user on X shared the video of the tunnel and asked:“Why is there a baby highchair in that tunnel?”
Meanwhile, another questioned: "Is that a stained mattress pulled from a secret tunnel behind a synagogue wall in NYC????"
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
What happened?
After NYPD personnel arrived at the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters synagogue, located in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood, the agitators engaged in a brawl with them.
At one point, the crowd appeared to bullrush through the police and climbed over the destroyed wooden furniture. The incident ultimately ended with the arrest of rioters and the temporary shuttering of the synagogue.
According to a report in Times of Israel, the tunnel was dug within the last few years. Moreover, the secret passage was constructed without authorisation from the Chabad leadership.
Watch |New York synagogue erupts into chaos as secret tunnel unearthed
Motti Seligson, the Chabad Lubavitch media director, issued a statement on Tuesday (Jan 9), saying the damage to the synagogue was caused by "extremist students".
"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 unauthorised access. Earlier today, a cement truck was brought in to repair those walls," saidSeligson.
"Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalising the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorised access."
Notably, an anonymous tip about the location and the secret tunnel had been sent to the New York City Fire Department last month. However, when the team responded, all exits were found operable and up to code, according to Amanda Farinacci, a spokesperson for the agency.
(With inputs from agencies)