Residents of the Moore Houses in Mott Haven, watched as four kittens were rescued six feet underground Monday night.

"They breathe like we do, they bleed like we do. They can't get out of there," says spectator Delores Gonzales.

Residents say the kittens have been trapped for at least two weeks and believe they were born there, but quickly became too big for the mother to carry them out.

With no luck getting in touch with 311, the residents decided to take matters into their own hands using whatever they could find as a tool to pry the metal top open.

They were finally successful and one by one the kittens made their way out.

The kittens are expected to be OK.