A burst pipe shot a fountain of water seven floors high as stunned locals looked on.

CCTV footage shows the moment the main source gave way, unleashing a powerful jet that drenched nearby buildings and cars in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia.

The height reached a towering 69ft (21m) and happened during a scheduled maintenance work.

The liquid was colour brown which came from the heating pipeline on May 27.

A spokesman from Energetik, the utility provider, said: 'The situation is under control and poses no danger to local residents.'

The spokesman added the pipe was being air fumigated, which is a process done to remove residual gases for safety.

The street was closed while emergency crew worked to shur off the flow and asses damage.

Repairs were completed and normal service resumed later in the day.