Nearly all petrol stations, including large ones, have closed in the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina City, leading to widespread petrol shortages.

Since 21 November 2024, most petrol stations have had signs up saying “petrol out of stock,” according to a Myitkyina resident who spoke to Myitkyina News Journal.

She said: “Almost every petrol station in Myitkyina [City] is out of petrol, and most have put up boards saying, Out of Stock.”

A few petrol stations in Myitkyina City are still open, but they are only selling limited quantities.

At a petrol station in Myitkyina City’s Aye Mya Thar Yar Ward, people lined up to buy petrol, but many had to push their motorbikes home after the station ran out of stock, another Myitkyina resident said.

On 18 October 2024, China stopped goods crossing at Kan Paik Ti in Waingmaw Township, which borders Myitkyina Township in Kachin State. This followed fierce fighting in the area around Kan Paik Ti between the Karen Independence Army (KIA) and the People's Defence Forces (PDFs) on one side and the junta and Kachin Border Guard Force (BGF) on the other. This triggered the current petrol price rises and shortages in Myitkyina.

Junta troops who had fled into China because of fighting in nearby Pan Wah on 18 October were allowed back into Myanmar through the Kan Paik Ti crossing, before it was completely closed by the Chinese on 22 October.

The KIA coalition successfully took Kan Paik Ti Town on 20 November. Since then, the junta has closed the Bala Min Htin Bridge across the Ayeyarwady River, which connects Myitkyina City to Waingmaw Township and the Kan Paik Ti border crossing.

Currently, the price of a litre of petrol in Myitkyina is around 10,000 kyats. In Yangon the price of petrol is about 3,200 kyats a litre.