A stretch of Hai Tan Street in Sham Shui Po has been closed for a week, after dramatically subsiding on Friday.

Photos from the scene show that a three by four metre patch of the road collapsed into the ground, to a depth of about three metres. A one-block stretch of the road will be out of use until Friday morning.

Police said they received a report at about 4pm on Friday about the subsidence. Officers cordoned off the area.

Officers said the authorities would have to carry out work on an underground water main at the site.

The Transport Department said on Saturday that all lanes of Hai Tan Street between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street would be closed to all traffic until 6am next Friday.

It said affected bus routes have been diverted.