Virginia officials halt TikTok tunnel plan
Local news reports that officials in Herndon, Virginia, halted TikToker 'Kala's' excavation project underneath her house pending further legal inspection.
A TikToker's viral plan to dig a tunnel under her house was stopped by Virginia officials barring a full inspection.
The user known as "Kala" gained over 500,000 followers since documenting the excavation of her sub-basement in her Herndon, Virginia, home. Her earliest video from Oct. 23, 2022, featured "Kala" stating that she was planning to construct a storm shelter.
Various other videos showed her working on the project by herself as she documents the construction process. However, new developments may grind the process to a halt.
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WTTG reported on a TikToker going viral for building a tunnel under her house. (FOX 5 WTTG)
A Dec. 28 video showed "Kala" recreating a phone call she received from officials asking to meet with her on the project. A reenactment of the conversation revealed that there have been "complaints" about "excavation" in the area with inspectors asking to survey the project.
"They did give me a stop work order and are requiring an immediate evaluation by a professional engineer," "Kala" said. "Fortunately, contrary to rumors here, it is constructed entirely below the slab of my house, and it shouldn’t be too hard to get the permits and approval."
"Kala" amassed over 500,000 followers for her underground construction project. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
A statement from the Virginia city released to FOX 5 WTTG confirmed that it was contacted about a "potential violation of the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC)" taking place "at a residential property within the town’s corporate limits."
"As is standard protocol following such notifications, representatives from the building official’s and zoning administrator’s offices conducted a site inspection on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The town is working with the property owner to correct any violations and ensure that the property is safe and in compliance with the code," the statement read.
Residents living nearby spoke with the local news affiliate and voiced their concerns over the project.
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The city of Herndon, Virginia, confirmed to local news affiliates that officials were inspecting the tunnel. (krblokhin via Getty Images)
"It’s kind of crazy. Kind of funny, not going to lie. But definitely I have some concerns with whatever she is doing and, like, the area around us is soil and whatnot. Just making sure she’s not damaging the properties around," one woman said.
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Another man commented, "If [I] remember correctly maybe last summer, I just started hearing like…not rock blasts…but just loud noises and some dude was like digging dirt out."