Chennai, March 12 (IANS) Panic buying triggered by rumours of an impending fuel shortage led to several petrol bunks running out of stock across the delta districts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday.

Fuel outlets in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai districts witnessed an unprecedented rush of motorists, particularly during the morning hours, as people hurried to fill their vehicle tanks fearing supply disruptions.

Petrol bunk operators said the sudden spike in demand was largely driven by unverified messages circulating on social media claiming that fuel supplies could soon become scarce due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

These messages, often accompanied by visuals showing long queues of vehicles at petrol stations in Chennai and other major cities, created anxiety among motorists in the delta region and prompted them to rush to nearby fuel outlets.

While petrol stocks were quickly depleted at several urban outlets, operators said some quantity of diesel remained available.

According to them, many commercial vehicle operators who rely on diesel had already stocked up sufficient fuel earlier in the week.

A petrol bunk operator said several private diesel commercial vehicle service providers had accumulated enough diesel to sustain their operations for about a week, which helped reduce the immediate demand for diesel at retail outlets.

Interestingly, there were relatively fewer autorickshaws at petrol bunks despite the heavy rush of two-wheelers and cars.

Operators said many regular customers, including some auto drivers and small commercial operators, had already been alerted earlier and supplied with fuel in advance.

In some cases, fuel was reportedly provided to regular customers in plastic cans after filling their vehicle tanks to ensure they had sufficient stock for their routine operations.

Private service providers such as earthmover operators, harvest contractors, tour operators, and packers and movers usually maintain emergency fuel reserves by purchasing petrol or diesel in plastic cans and drums whenever uncertainty over supply arises.

Though panic buying was widespread in urban pockets of the delta districts, the situation was comparatively calm in some rural areas such as Thiruthuraipoondi and Vedaranyam, where fuel sales continued without unusual crowds.

However, a few petrol bunks near the pilgrimage town of Velankanni were reported to have temporarily run out of petrol following a sudden surge in demand.

–IANS

aal/pgh