NEW DELHI – Many Indians, especially those living in areas closer to the Pakistan border, have started hoarding groceries, medicines, petrol and cancelling travel plans, amid a rapid escalation in military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Citizens across towns in Punjab in India, such as Pathankot, Amritsar and Chandigarh, are seeing such panic buying.

Mr Gagandeep Madan, a 42-year-old who owns a ‘kirana’ shop – a mom-and-pop store – about 14km short of the Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar in Punjab, said almost all shops in the area, including his, had run out of food essentials on May 7.

“Customers came and bought about one month’s worth of wheat, rice, sugar and pulses,” Mr Madan said. “Panic set in among everyone here. Everyone wanted to be prepared.”

India said it “neutralised” Pakistani drone and missile attacks targeting several military sites on the night of May 8, marking a second day of hostilities between the neighbours.

India began the military strikes on May 7 on what it called terrorist targets in Pakistan in retaliation for an April 22 attack that killed 26 civilians in the India-controlled part of Kashmir region. 

With both nations saying they have shot down drones and missiles from the other in the past few days, local media reports say tourist hotspots are seeing dwindling footfalls.

India has shut down more than two dozen airports in northern and western parts of the country.

Some residents in Amritsar stored water in large containers, fearing power outages would mean they can’t use their electric pumps to draw ground water. 

In Pathankot, Mr Ashish Kumar has been seeing a run on food products and snacks at his tiny kirana for the past few days.

The local administration of Chandigarh, the capital of the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, said in a post on X on May 9 that individuals and businesses were prohibited from hoarding essential commodities, medicines and fuel. 

State refiner Indian Oil Corp also sought to allay fears by saying it has ample stock of fuels and discouraged stockpiling. 

“Our supply lines are running smoothly,” it said in an X post. “There is no need for panic buying – fuel and LPG is readily available at all our outlets. Help us serve you better ...