Fans attending track cycling events at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia have been warned to hold onto their mobile phones after a spectator dropped one onto the track during a race.

The incident happened during the first session of the opening day of competition at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane, Queensland, reports AFP.

The mobile phone was dropped during a heat of the mens’ team pursuit, where riders can reach speeds in excess of 60 kilometres an hour.

Fortunately, the dropped phone did not cause a crash, but the episode prompted a warning from the announcer at the packed venue.

He told spectators, “Please be careful, a mobile phone has just been dropped onto the track,” adding that it could have caused a “major accident” had one of the riders struck it.

BBC Sport is currently showing the first evening session at the velodrome, which will see six gold medals decided.