Students going to the Mumbai University (MU) stadium at Marine Lines have had to play a dangerous game of hop, skip and jump lately, thanks to the many gaping spaces on the benches in the spectator stands of the iconic track and field facility. When mid-day visited the stadium on Friday, the stands looked precarious.

At certain junctures, the gaps were so huge that a child could miss a step and fall on the ground. The stadium is the go-to destination for city athletes, with a number of schools and colleges holding their sports meets on the ground. But the broken benches in the spectator stands are proving to be a hazard. One misstep at a deck situated at an approximate height of 23 feet, and the child could have a dangerous fall.