Largest US pipeline to restart operations after hack shut it down for nearly a week

Announcement comes amid fuel shortages in south-east, with panicked drivers filling up their tanks

The largest fuel pipeline in the US has restarted operations nearly a week after a cyber-attack forced its shutdown, prompting distribution problems and panic-buying that drained supplies at thousands of gas stations.

Colonial Pipeline initiated the restart of operations late Wednesday, saying in a statement: All lines, including those lateral lines that have been running manually, will return to normal operations."