Chennai: Rumours Fuel Panic Buying of Petrol in Suburbs
The rumours of petrol bunks running out of stock and closing down from Thursday morning spread on Wednesday and people in their two-wheelers and cars queued up before the petrol bunks to fill the tanks.
Chennai: A large number of people thronged petrol bunks in Chennai’s suburbs from midnight on Wednesday following rumours that petrol bunks would be closed without stocks and the prices will be increased due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
From Tambaram to Madurantakam and along the areas on the Chennai-Tiruchy national highway, Old Mahabalipuram Road and East Coast Road, people drove to petrol bunks and waited in long queues. Besides filling the petrol and diesel tanks of their vehicles, they also bought petrol and diesel in large water cans and bottles despite the standing guideline of the government that petrol and diesel should not be filled in bottles and cans.
The rumours of petrol bunks running out of stock and closing down from Thursday morning spread on Wednesday and people in their two-wheelers and cars queued up before the petrol bunks to fill the tanks. There were rumours on social media that petrol and diesel prices will double due to the ongoing war.
People, even those sleeping at home, immediately started going towards the petrol bunks besides calling their friends on their mobiles to tell them to be alert and fill their vehicles with fuel. As the rumours spread like wildfire throughout the night, people also emptied their water cans, took as many bottles and cans as they could and rushed to the bunks to join the big queues. Those who were returning from offices at night, joined the queue without going home even for dinner.
According to safety guidelines, people should not be given petrol or diesel in cans and bottles but people filled their bottles and cans, too, with the fuel for future use. Some of the petrol bunk operators did not point out the rules since the people looked tense and frustrated. At the bunks where the operators refused to give the fuel in bottles and cans, people ganged up and started quarrelling with the staff and threatened them to give the fuel in bottles and cans.
Due to panic buying, many bunks ran out of stock and closed in the afternoon and people rushed to the nearby bunks. Those who reached the bunks in the evening did not have petrol and went without fuel. The police said they were investigating the people who spread the rumours on Wednesday night.
