``With such publicity, we ourselves had started believing that something would happen here,'' a shipbreaker told The Indian Express over the phone. ``The workers have no reason to stay away,'' secretary of the Shipbreakers Association, Subodh Chaudhary, said.

Some dealers and shipbreakers, when contacted, said they were already receiving phone calls from labour leaders and mukadims to inquire if everything was okay at the yards.

However, the rumour has taken a toll and left large-scale damage in its wake. Alang and Sosiya shipbreaking industries have registered a loss of at least Rs 80 crore, following the Doomsday rumour. Although the rumours were proved false, work in the yards came to a standstill even before May 8. In fact, workers hadstarted migrating two months ago, when a pamphlet predicting a disaster on May 8 was distributed in both the yards.

About 55,000 workers migrated to their native states, resulting in a massive loss to industry owners.

On May 8 itself, most owners stayed overnight at their plots to assuage the fears of workers who had stayed back.

Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), the police department, fire brigade and associations of both Alang and Sosiya yards had arranged a bandobast.

The Alang police station had deputed five PSIs, 60 police constables and arranged for mobile wireless sets and loud speakers as a precautionary measure.