This is the shocking moment a heating pipe burst, sending a brown column of hot water shooting more than 33ft into the air in the middle of a busy street in China.

Taiyuan Thermal Power Group said the heating main suddenly failed, prompting emergency repair teams to rush to the scene in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, on November 10.

Footage shows a jet of steaming brown water blasting skyward and flooding the roadway as stunned bystanders look on.

Eyewitnesses said the eruption resembled a giant fountain and was visible from several blocks away.

One resident said: 'The column of water erupted when I left the housing complex at around 4 pm. Repair crews were already on site when I returned 30 minutes later.'

Another passerby said he saw the hot water surging upward, filling the area with thick steam.

Taiyuan Thermal Power Group later announced that repairs had been completed and that heating had been restored to affected homes the same evening.

A company spokesman apologised for the disruption and thanked residents for their patience and cooperation.

Taiyuan began its winter heating season on October 19, around 12 days earlier than the official start date.