The US Government has issued a warning urging residents not to fill plastic bags with petrol after a cyberattack on an oil pipeline has sparked a petrol shortage and panic buying.
US Government warns people not to fill plastic bags with petrol
Photos that have gone viral online show long lines at stations and claim that people actually fill plastic bags with gasoline.
Although the viral photo is said to be from 2019, it hasn’t stopped the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from sending out a warning about anyone using that storage system
The government agency warned in a thread on Twitter, “Follow gas channel instructions for storing and transporting gasoline.”
“When using a gas canister, never pour gasoline on or near an open flame.”
“Never pour flammable liquids from a container over an exposed flame.”
“We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly.”
If you know someone who is thinking of carrying a non-fuel container to get gas, please let them know that it is dangerous.
They are taking risks that can have deadly consequences.
” Sometimes, if we display a safety message like this, people use it as a way to put others down.”
“We ask them to instead use this as an opportunity to think about safety in their own lives.”
Colonial Pipeline supplies about 45% of the gasoline used on the U.S. East Coast, and was forced to shut down operations last week following a ransomware attack.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has urged people not to panic or stockpile fuel.
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