NEW DELHI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government said Thursday that more than 100 bridges across the country were in dilapidated condition and could collapse anytime.
"We have carried out a safety audit of 160,000 bridges in the country and found that over 100 structures are in dilapidated condition. These 100 bridges can collapse anytime and they need immediate attention," Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Parliament.
"My ministry had last year launched a special project to create data of all bridges and culverts in the country as part of the steps to avert mishaps," the minister said.
Bridge collapses are common in India.
While some British-era bridges collapse due to poor maintenance, others collapse due to lack of inspections and use of substandard construction materials.
At least two people were killed and several others injured after a pedestrian bridge over a river collapsed in the western Indian state of Goa in May.
In August last year, some 38 people died when two buses and a car fell into a river after a road bridge between Mumbai and Goa collapsed.
