The war resulted in an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route for energy and commodities to India, causing shortages of fuels such as diesel, natural gas, and cooking gas and leading to a surge in prices. At the start of April, the cost of explosives used for blasting layers of soil sitting over mineral deposits had risen 26% from pre-war levels, while price of diesel, used to fuel mining machinery, had risen by about half since the middle of March, according to Coal India.