Indian commuters ‘risk their lives’ every day as more than 5,000 bridges need repair

India has more than 36,000 bridges built during the colonial era of the British Raj. Photograph: Wikimedia

The collapse of a bridge in Gujarat that left 135 people dead has prompted concerns over the safety of thousands of other colonial-era structures across India.

The bridge in Morbi was more than a century old when it snapped in two last month while families had gathered on it to enjoy an evening on the river. Many of those standing in the middle of the bridge plunged into the river and drowned, while others died from the impact of falling on to the stones and boulders below.