SHANGHAI - WATER was cut off to about 350,000 Shanghai homes after a water company's services failed and fire trucks had to provide supplies to residents, schools and hospital, officials said on Thursday.

The Sonjiang Water Supply Authority said in a statement that services failed early on Wednesday morning after its pumps failed and were restored just before midnight.

A leak caused the failure, leaving 350,000 households without water, the Shanghai Daily reported.

Scores of residents clad in winter coats and holding kettles and buckets could be seen lining up for water from a fire engine in a residential lane, in a photo in the newspaper. -- AFP