In Hyderabad on Tuesday panic and confusion took hold when fuel shortage fears led to long lines at gas stations due to an unexpected increase in demand for regular gasoline caused mainly by false reports and world tensions.
Current situation at multiple petrol pumps in #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/aV3cym2Un5
— §umaiya khan (@pathan_sumaya) March 24, 2026
After a surge of anxiety over reports and messages on social media of an expected disruption of the fuel supply probably caused by the ongoing crisis in West Asia, residents hurried to gas stations all over the city. Many gas stations experienced an uncharacteristically high number of customers, some having run out of regular fuel or been forced to switch to premium fuel about Rs 10 more than regular fuel.
Rumours Spark Sudden Rush
At numerous gas stations, vehicles extended well beyond the gas station footprint, blocking roads and creating traffic backups near the gas station. Many people filled their tanks up in anticipation of rising prices or short supplies. Several people went from gas station to gas station looking for gasoline while others were compelled to pay extra for premium gasoline.
The fear of buying gas was directly tied to increased political tensions in West Asia, especially between the United States, Israel, and Iran. This made people worry about their future access to fuel in India, despite there not being any official word of a disruption.
Petrol Pumps Run Dry
Many of the gas stations stated that the sudden spike in demand was very unusual and, within hours, some stations experienced a nearly double increase in sales. There were temporary shortages of gasoline at the local level, but enough reserves existed at the national level to meet demand.
Government officials and oil companies have continually issued statements trying to reassure people that there were not gasoline or diesel shortages across the country. They have stated that the short supply is temporary and localized in nature, primarily caused by panic buying rather than an actual supply crisis.
Officials Urge Calm
The panic buying has been compounded by a secondary short supply of auto-lpg fuel in some locations affecting autorickshaw drivers; some auto-lpg stations are reportedly displaying “out of stock” signs, causing drivers to wait long periods of time at the few stations where fuel is still available.
Authorities have asked the public not to panic. They want to reassure everyone with valid information that there is an adequate supply of gas; and we should expect things to return to normal soon. This event illustrates just how quickly misinformation and world events can disrupt a local area, even though there is actually no shortage of resources.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
