Two Indian-flagged vessels carrying nearly 93,000 metric tonnes of LPG have crossed the Strait of Hormuz safely, the government announced at an inter-ministerial media briefing on Saturday, as authorities moved to reassure citizens amid mounting anxiety over fuel supplies triggered by the escalating West Asia conflict.

Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Rajesh Kumar Sinha confirmed that MV Shivalik and MV Nanda Devi transited the Strait of Hormuz safely in the early hours of Saturday, carrying 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG. The vessels are expected to dock at Mundra and Kandla ports on the 16th and 17th of this month respectively.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Sujata Sharma firmly ruled out any shortage at retail outlets or LPG distributorships, stating that adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, and crude oil inventories are available across the country. She urged citizens to stop panic-booking LPG cylinders and to place orders only when genuinely required — reminding consumers that cylinders can only be booked 25 days after the previous delivery in urban areas, and 45 days in rural areas. She also urged people to book digitally and avoid queuing outside distributors. Commercial cylinders have been made available to state governments, with distribution already underway in 29 states and Union Territories. State governments are conducting raids and inspections to curb black marketing and hoarding.

Additional Secretary (Gulf) at the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem Mahajan, said that 1,72,000 Indian nationals have returned home from the West Asia region since the 28th of last month. Air connectivity is steadily improving with additional flights being operated from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. Indians in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq — where direct flights are currently unavailable — are being assisted with visa extensions and transit visas for onward travel via Saudi Arabia.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, C Senthil Rajan, cautioned citizens to be wary of misinformation circulating on social media platforms regarding the conflict and its impact on domestic supplies.