‘Stood in line for 1.5 hours, forced to return as fuel ran out’

Nagpur: "I waited in line for around one-and-a-half hours at a petrol pump near Panchsheel Square on Tuesday evening, but it closed as the stock ended when my turn came. I had to return without filling petrol. It was disheartening. After that, I went to another petrol pump and again stood in line for 45 minutes before I finally got fuel," said Shubham Tiwari, a banker.Scenes of chaos unfolded across the city as rumours of a possible petrol shortage triggered panic buying since Tuesday morning. Hundreds of residents rushed to fuel stations, resulting in long, serpentine queues and temporary closures at several outlets as stocks quickly ran dry. Many commuters were left stranded, while others were forced to travel from one petrol pump to another in search of fuel."I had a family emergency and had to go to Amravati following a relative's death, but it took me around an hour to get petrol in my car while my family members waited outside. It was really frustrating that we were unable to get petrol even during such an emergency," said Vivek Meshram, who was standing in a queue at a petrol pump in Narendra Nagar.Motorists across the city reported waiting anywhere between 45 minutes and over an hour to refuel. While some rushed to petrol pumps out of panic, others said they were forced into the queues due to immediate needs, highlighting the widespread disruption caused by the sudden surge in demand.