After a hacking attack on a US pipeline, gasoline shortages occurred in some parts of the country.
People started hoarding fuel even in garbage bags.
Washington - Blackmailers crippled a pipeline in the US last Friday (May 7th).
This caused major gasoline shortages in parts of the country.
The private operator Colonial of the pipeline had gradually resumed operations on Wednesday.
According to information from the German Press Agency, President Joe Biden said on Thursday that there was strong evidence that the attack originated in Russia.
The US government does not assume that the Kremlin was involved.
After the hacker attack: people in the USA hoard gasoline - some in plastic bags
The pipeline is very important to the US supply, it carries about 45 percent of all fuel consumed on the east coast.
Hamster purchases took place on Thursday (May 13), especially in Washington.
Three out of four petrol stations there ran out of fuel in the evening, as Patrick De Haan from the market analysis company Gasbuddy announced on Twitter.
Motorists were therefore desperately looking for gasoline.
US President Joe Biden called on Americans not to “panic”.
"Don't buy more gasoline than you need in the next few days," he said in the White House on Thursday.
The supply will soon return to normal.
"Panic buying will only delay it." To see queues at gas stations is frightening, the US president admitted.
The most important thing now is "not to panic".
Videos were circulating on social media in which people even filled the fuel in plastic bags.
This went so far that the authorities explicitly warned against it.
According to AFP said
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, fuel should only be filled directly into the tank or into approved containers.
“Now is the time to be careful and sensible.” The consumer protection agency CPSC also warned against filling in garbage bags.
It could have potentially “fatal consequences”.
“Don't fill plastic bags with gasoline.
We know that sounds easy, but when people are desperate, they don't think clearly anymore. "
Oh shit.
#gasshortage?
Better pick up a couple extra bags.
pic.twitter.com/a09ue2eQfK
- Fiendishly Yours, (@FiendishlyYours) May 11, 2021
After a steep rise, gasoline prices are falling again - the background to the attack is unclear
There was a huge spike in gasoline prices during the week due to the attack on the pipeline.
This Friday (May 14th) the dpa reported that the reports about gasoline shortages in parts of the USA could not give the prices of the prices any new impetus.
Oil prices have fallen slightly again.
In the morning, a barrel (159 liters) of North Sea Brent cost 66.96 US dollars.
That was nine cents less than the day before.
The price of a barrel of the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also fell slightly by two cents to $ 63.80.
+
In more than a dozen US states, gas pumps were closed after a hacker attack.
© Manuel Balce Ceneta / dpa
Much of the background to the hacker attack is still unclear.
For example, it is unknown how much money the hacker group DarkSide, which is believed to be responsible for the attack, wanted to extort from the operator.
So far, the company has also kept a low profile on whether ransom money has been paid at all.
Biden said on Thursday
when
asked about possible ransom payments: "I'm not commenting on that."
(Dpa / tkip)
Also interesting:
Biden announces a “milestone” relaxation - Spahn also speaks about it for the first time
List of rubric lists: © Manuel Balce Ceneta
