India, March 13 -- The government on Friday urged citizens not to indulge in panic buying of LPG cylinders after bookings surged sharply amid concerns triggered by ongoing US-Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure.

Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said LPG bookings have risen significantly in recent days, touching 75.7 lakh bookings, compared to the pre-war daily average of 55.7 lakh, indicating panic-driven demand.

A senior Oil Ministry official said the spike reflects precautionary bookings by households rather than any real shortage of cooking gas.

"There is no need for panic booking; no dry-out has been reported at any LPG dealer," said Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Pe...