Ludhiana, March 28 -- Rumours of a possible fuel shortage amid tensions in the Middle East triggered panic buying across the city on Friday, leading to long queues at petrol pumps and temporary stockouts at several filling stations.

Petrol pump operators reported an unprecedented surge in demand, with vehicle inflow rising to nearly five times the usual level. As anxious residents rushed to fill their tanks, several outlets briefly ran out of fuel and had to suspend operations until fresh supplies arrived.

Ashok Sachdeva, chairman of the Petrol Pump Dealers Association, said the rush was entirely driven by speculation. "There is no shortage of fuel supply. People do not need to panic, but the sudden surge in demand is itself creating pr...