A wild scene broke out in Basti, Uttar Pradesh, and the video’s everywhere now. You see crowds of people scrambling for LPG cylinders outside the Mahadeva Gas Agency, all because rumours started flying about a cooking gas shortage.
In this short, chaotic clip, everyone’s pushing in, trying to grab those familiar red cylinders. Some folks just sling them over their shoulders and bolt, while others keep shoving closer to the loading spot.
UP VIDEO: Amid LPG Crisis, People Run Away With Gas Cylinders
It’s tense, no long queues, just a lot of jostling and nerves. People are desperate to get their cylinders first, clearly worried that supplies are about to run dry.
So, what’s behind the panic? It all goes back to talking about trouble brewing in West Asia. Word spread on social media that the conflict between Iran and Israel might hit LPG imports to India.
Pretty soon, everyone’s hearing that cooking gas could run out, and people start hoarding cylinders, not just in Basti but in other places too.
Visuals from Mahadeva Gas agency, Basti, Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/xz3F2KNiNP
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) March 11, 2026
Officials stepped in fast. The government keeps saying there’s no shortage at all. Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister, went public to reassure everyone that fuel supplies are steady and nothing’s disrupted.
People at the Petroleum Ministry backed this up, saying India’s got enough stock and the distribution system’s working just fine.
Still, even with these official statements, scenes like the one in Basti keep popping up. It’s clear that rumors on social media are driving people to panic buy, and experts warn that this kind of behaviour can explode overnight, especially when the world feels unstable.
Some even compared this rush to the mad scramble for oxygen cylinders during the pandemic, when fear and rumours set off chaos across the country.
Authorities are urging everyone to ignore the gossip online. They want people to trust only official updates about fuel, not get swept up by unverified claims.
What is the government saying about the LPG crisis?
In the media briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, announced that the government has subsidised a large portion of the cost increment made by the crisis to cushion the consumers.
The LPG cylinder price in Delhi is at present 913. It is following the growth of Rs 60. She said the market price would otherwise have been higher.
She also mentioned that the production of LPG domestically has been boosted by a quarter and that they are also supplying household consumers with enough supply.
In the wake of panic bookings, Sharma said that the regular cycle of delivery of domestic LPG is of 2.5 days and asked people not to hurry in booking LPG cylinders.
