Overview
- Five athletes returning from a national meet in Bhubaneswar secured eight pole‑vault poles to a sleeper coach window after finding no space inside.
- At Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, Railway Protection Force staff cut the securing ropes and the poles began to slide onto the track as the train pulled out.
- Three athletes jumped off the moving train as a teammate pulled the emergency chain to recover the poles before they were crushed.
- Railway officials then held three athletes for hours to take statements, their bags continued on the departing train, and the trio later reached Chennai on the Coromandel Express.
- A widely shared video drew public criticism, the athletes plan to seek help from senior railway officials, and earlier cases of deboarding and fines point to unclear rules for carrying long, high‑value poles that can cost over ₹1 lakh each.