Fatal subway collapse in Foshan in China’s southern Guangdong Province

SHOCKING images reveal the collapse of a subway in southern China. At least eight people died as a result of the incident.

AUTHORITIES in southern China say eight people have died and three are missing in a cave-in at a subway line construction site.

The municipal government in Foshan said the collapse occurred at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, local time (11.40pm AEDT), and that nine workers had been rescued and were in stable condition.

Details of the accident have only just emerged.

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Latest on China's Foshan road collapse:
- at least 8 confirmed dead
- 9 rescued, 3 remain missing
- collapse area at subway construction site (pic via local media) pic.twitter.com/Qd881Yglnj

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) February 8, 2018

Foshan is in the industrial heartland of Guangdong province close to the financial hub of Hong Kong.

The site of the collapse was in a central area of the city beneath an eight-lane road.

An area the size of two basketball courts sunk to a depth of 6m, according to state broadcaster CCTV

At least eight people were killed in a road collapse on the main road in Foshan, South China's Guangdong, on Wednesday night pic.twitter.com/ZVdYB8inHj

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) February 8, 2018

Water had been entering the site from leaks in pipes, which workers attempted to plug but ultimately caused a burst that led to the collapse, CCTV said.

Officials work at the site of the road collapse in Foshan, southern China's Guangdong Province. Picture: AP

The line under construction runs for 23km through the city north of the provincial capital of Guangzhou, also known as Canton.

The rapid expansion of subway networks in Chinese cities has frequently led to cave-ins and other deadly accidents, and while China has made considerable progress in improving industrial safety, scores are still killed annually in factories, coal mines and transportation networks.

At least eight people died in the subway collapse. Picture: AP

Most recently, gas leaking from a pipeline at a steel mill in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong killed eight people and injured 10 on Monday.

In the deadliest recent incident, an explosion in 2015 traced to improperly stored chemicals killed at least 173 people in the port city of Tianjin, about an hour east of Beijing.