Fuel shortage fears grip Hyderabad; panic buying chokes petrol pumps

On Tuesday, Hyderabadis woke up to the sight of a city inching forward on fumes, not because fuel had run out, but because fear had taken over.

By late Monday night, the first signs of unease began on Ramanthapur main road. On most evenings, the station serves a handful of customers at a time. Motorcycles began clustering near the dispensers and cars spilled out on to the main road. “I heard there might be a shortage and thought I should just fill up,” said Sunil, a 53-year-old businessman who lives in the area. “You don’t want to be caught unprepared if something goes wrong,” he added.