UP: Rumours of fuel crisis due to West Asia conflict spark panic, long queues seen at petrol pumps
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP)(PTI): Rumours about a shortage of petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) due to the ongoing West Asia conflict triggered panic among locals in several areas here, leading to long queues at many petrol pumps on Friday, officials said.
Queues of people seeking to purchase petrol and diesel were witnessed across several fuel stations in the Nighasan, Pallia and Bhira areas amid fears of a possible shortage.
However, District Supply Officer Anjani Kumar Singh dismissed the rumours as baseless and said there was no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in the district.
"The rumours of shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in Kheri district are baseless and unfounded," Singh told PTI, adding that adequate stocks of petroleum products were available and people should purchase them only as per their needs.
He also warned that strict action would be taken against anyone found hoarding petroleum products.
District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal also took cognisance of the rumours and appealed to people not to panic, assuring that the supply of petrol and diesel in the district was normal.
Kheri Petroleum Traders Association district president Abhishek Dixit emphasised that there was no fuel crisis in the district and sufficient stock was available at petrol pumps to meet consumer demand.
Similarly, Arun Kumar Singh, district president of the LPG distributors association, said there was adequate LPG stock in the district and urged residents not to panic.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mangaluru police flag fake ‘sea breeze marathon’ Instagram campaign, urge public caution
Mangaluru: Police have flagged a fake marathon campaign being widely circulated on Instagram under the name “Sea Breeze Marathon” and warned the public against falling prey to a suspected cyber fraud network.
The purported post, which began circulating on April 3, claims to offer prize money of Rs 2.51 lakh for a 5 km race, Rs 3.5 lakh for a 10 km race, and Rs 5 lakh for a 21 km race. It also urges participants to register in advance. However, officials have clarified that no such marathon has been organised in Mangaluru.
The poster also promises to provide participants with free sports shoes, goodies bags and refreshments, in order to lure people.
Police suspect that the poster is part of a cyber fraud attempt designed to lure users into registering through fraudulent links.
Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy cautioned that registering through such links could lead to mobile phone hacking and financial loss.
The campaign is also being amplified through a viral video featuring songs from popular movies, along with visuals of people participating in marathons, allegedly sourced from existing footage, giving the content a sense of authenticity and misleading people.
When Vartha Bharati conducted a reverse image search, the video was traced back to marathons held in Mumbai, further confirming that the circulating content is not related to any event in Mangaluru.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Commissioner Reddy confirmed that the campaign is fake and that no organisation has approached authorities seeking permission for conducting a marathon, including traffic or road clearances.
“So far, no complaint has been lodged, and no victim of the campaign has been reported,” he said.
