TikToker ‘Tunnel Girl’ ordered to stop viral digging project under Virginia home

A TikToker known as “Tunnel Girl” for her unpermitted tunnel digging project at her suburban Washington, DC home has been slapped with an order to abandon the elaborate project due to “potential violations.”

“Kala the science girl” has amassed a half million followers while documenting the excavation of an underground tunnel system leading to a storm shelter off the side of her basement in Herndon, Va. since October of 2022.

Kala, who uses the handles @kalaengineer and @engineer.everything, has gradually shown her viewers the progression of a tunnel system that leads to a “sub-basement” chamber 22 feet below ground.

The Herculean effort entailed cutting through concrete, mining sediment, installing an elevator shaft to evacuate a thousand pounds of rocks up at a time, pumping out water, installing electricity and ventilation and dealing with setbacks like partial collapses and fires.

Part of her channel’s appeal seems rooted in her idiosyncratic presentation.

The woman claims to be an office worker by day and speaks in a robotic monotone voice while donning fashionable outfits, heavy makeup and manicured nails as she demonstrates her highly complex and dangerous home improvement project.

She works on the massive undertaking by herself in her videos, many of which appear to have been shot by someone else.

On Dec. 28, Kala posted a heavily-produced clip that showed her getting a visit from city officials who shut down the big dig.

“They did give me a stop work order and are requiring an immediate evaluation by a professional engineer,” she told viewers.

“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.”

Her across-the-street neighbor told WUSA9 he was worried about the lack of safety precautions she seemed to be taking, and the possible impact her projects could have on her neighbor’s property.

“It’s definitely a first,” said the man, who the station identified only as David.

“It’s concerning during the day that there’s a lot of noise being made but nothing that would truly bother us to call the authorities in any way,” he said.

Kala declined to speak with the outlet and told The Post she couldn’t comment “until the permit process is complete.”

Officials in her leafy town confirmed that they were working with Kala “to correct any violations and ensure that the property is safe and in compliance with the code,” after inspectors “received notice” that she was in “potential violation of the Uniform Statewide Building Code.”