A YOUNG girl screamed in agony after she plunged into a pool of scotching water as she took a photo on her phone, but no one stopped to help her.

The nine-year-old, only known as Irina, slipped as she was trying to take a snap of steam surging from a leak in a hot water pipe in Barnaul, Russia.

Witnesses say that despite the schoolgirl's blood-curdling screams, no one attempted to help her.

It was her friend Alisa, eight, who managed to pull her out of the "almost boiling" water.

She had been walking home from school when she slipped.

Hot water is pumped to apartment blocks in Russia's cities to ensure heating in their harsh cold winters.

'The worst thing is that no adults came although the child was screaming,” said Alisa’s mother.

Finally a woman helped the scalded child to her feet - but didn’t call an ambulance.

Later at hospital she was diagnosed with third degree burns and shock.

A health source said the girl is in a “grave” condition “but she's conscious”.

Some 20 per cent of her body was covered by burns from the scalding water and she is likely to need skin grafting.

Her mother Evgeniya, 46, said there were no barriers by the hot water pool caused by the burst pipe.

This was despite it being next to a children’s playground.

“My child in hospital because of someone's negligence,” she said.

“The place is dangerous.

“There should have been barriers put up but nothing was done."

The utility company responsible for hot water is paying for the girl’s medical bills.

The company has been warned a criminal case could be opened into the case, said state investigative officials.