Bali fuel shortage sparks protest and long queues

Hundreds of people protested a petrol shortage on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Thursday as long queues built up at gas stations.

AFP reported lines stretching more than a kilometre at several gas stations in the provincial capital, Denpasar, and around 500 people rallying outside the governor's office.

Authorities blamed the shortage on supply disruptions and urged residents to stay calm, saying there was enough fuel for the island, which relies on shipped-in gasoline and diesel.

State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina said the disruption was caused by distribution delays after a tanker had trouble discharging its cargo.

Governor I Wayan Koster said on Tuesday that the tanker, carrying more than 22 million litres of fuel, had arrived in Bali and that the supply was expected to meet demand for up to seven days.

Koster ordered government employees to work from home for three days starting Thursday. Schools and universities were also ordered to switch to online learning for the same period.

Indonesia has faced fuel shortages this year since the start of the Iran war, which has disrupted global energy supplies. Jakarta limited fuel purchases in March and ordered civil servants to work from home every Friday as part of energy-saving efforts.