BAMAKO, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- As the midday sun scorches the streets of Bamako, capital of Mali, the usual hustle and bustle has given way to long queues of vehicles stretching for hundreds of meters in front of gas stations.

Cars and motorcycles clog the main roads, with exhausted drivers dozing off behind the wheel or simply leaving the vehicles to hold their place in line. Empty jerrycans and plastic bottles litter the roadside, the air blended with gasoline fumes and dust.

"The station has been out of fuel for three days," said a staff member of Petro Mientao, a private gas station near King Fahd Bridge in Bamako. "We're just trying to keep order, but it's hard to watch people wait helplessly."

Motorcyclist Samba Diallo told Xinhua that he had been in line since the early hours of the day before, but the queue showed no sign of easing.

"These days, we rely on word of mouth to know which station might get new fuel," Diallo said. "Some stations post updates on social media, urging people to come when new supplies arrive."

For nearly a month, the West African nation has been in the grip of a severe fuel shortage. Gasoline and diesel supplies have been drying up across the country, disrupting transportation, slowing business activities, and further straining daily life.