Long lines at the pumps

Endless queue: Motorists waiting to refuel their vehicles at a petrol station in Vientiane. — AFP

Long queues formed at petrol stations across Vientiane as fuel shortages deepened, with the ripples of the Middle East conflict reverbera­ting across the landlocked country.

More than 40% of the 2,538 filling stations in Laos were closed last week, according to the most recent government data.