A waist-deep hole appeared in a road in Beijing's Fengtai district, with residents linking it to the construction of the second phase of subway Line 10 under the site.

The hole is about 1.5 meters deep, with an outer diameter of 1.5 meters, the Jinghua Times reported on Wednesday.

Residents living in a building nearby have been evacuated due to fears of further subsidence.

Wang Peng, a manager for the subway project, was quoted by the newspaper as saying the reason for the subsidence has yet to be identified and further investigation is needed to see if it is linked to subway construction work. Wang said the subway tunnel is being built 12 to 15 meters under the hole.

A warning board has been placed by the hole, which has been covered with a plank.

When construction is completed later this year, Line 10 will become the second loop line in the capital, following Line 2.