‘Smell like death': What it's like inside NYC's dank, dangerous, bug-filled sewers

Former urban explorer Steve Duncan describes navigating New York City's sewer system as dangerous and unpleasant due to cockroaches, pathogens, and hazards like hydrogen sulfide. Recent incidents of people entering sewers in Brooklyn and Queens prompted NYPD warnings about the risks, though officials say there's no public threat. The city's 7,400-mile sewer network includes historic tunnels repurposed from natural waterways.