A large deployment of Naval ships outside the harbour and a few of them spewing steam triggered rumours among passersby on the Beach Road here on Friday.
The ships belonging to the Eastern Naval Command were returning after a routine exercise and some of the warships prior to entering the harbour initiated routine ‘steam washing’ procedures, official sources said. The visitors to the beach mistook the steam for smoke and combined with the large deployment of warships on the roads several panic calls went out to everyone in the Port for clarification.
In the evening the ENC officials had a number of Naval ships on the Roads illuminated to check their visibility from the different locations on the beach road as part of their planning for the forthcoming International Fleet Review.
