Local residents of Sallaghari in Bhaktapur grabbed cooking gas cylinders from a vehicle which was bound to Kathmandu from Kavre as the valley reels under acute shortage of the cooking gas.

They took a TATA Mobile loaded with 280 cylinders of Himal gas under control and forced the driver and the workers to distribute the cylinders to them after they received the information that the vehicle was carrying LPG cylinders to Kathmandu.

Some cylinders were lost due to the uncontrolled crowd though the locals had paid Rs, 1415 per cylinder.

Police had escorted other two vehicles loaded with gas cylinders to the District Administration Office Bhaktapur after the locals tried to take the vehicles under control.

According to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) officials, the cooking gas shortage has deepened after the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) failed to supply gas as per the demand due to its own problem. nepalnews.com