THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Large sections of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki have been without water for a fifth day because of damage to an old pipeline, prompting a judicial investigation into the city's state-owned water company.

The center and northwestern parts of Greece's second-largest city have been without water since Tuesday, when a 40-year-old pipeline that brings water to the city from 50 kilometers (31 miles) away burst. Hundreds of thousands of people in the 1.2-million metropolitan area that includes the city's suburbs have been affected.

Schools were forced to close, hospitals were affected and people flocked to public fountains to fill plastic bottles and containers with water.

A city prosecutor has opened an investigation into possible damage to public health as well into the city water company's finances.