Australia has agreed to pay 10,000 rupees ($225) for a washing-machine broken during raucous celebrations by Commonwealth Games athletes in India this month, an official said yesterday.

A spokesman for the Delhi organising committee said the Australian Commonwealth Games Association had agreed to the compensation for the damage to the machine, which was reportedly thrown from a window.

“They are bearing the cost, the matter is closed as far as we are concerned,” the spokesman, Lalit Bhanot, told AFP.

Another Games official said no cash transaction had taken place since the amount will be deducted from money the organising committee owes to the Australian association.

“This is standard procedure,” the official said. “An inventory is done when athletes occupy their accommodation and if there is damage, the amount is recovered before the account is closed.”

The washing machine, which was found in a crumpled state outside the athletes’ tower block, costs 8,000 rupees and an additional 2,000 was added for “incidental expenses”, the official said.

The incident took place near the end of the October 3-14 Games, where Australia topped the table with 74 gold medals.