A school picnic in Maharashtra’s Raigad district ended in tragedy after eight students drowned at Diveagar beach on Thursday. The students, all around 16 years old and studying in Classes XI and XII, were part of a group from Winners Academy, a private coaching institute in Alandi, Pune.
48 Students and Teachers Were on the Trip
According to police, a group of 48 people, including 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers, had travelled to Diveagar for an educational excursion. The group was visiting the beach under the jurisdiction of Dighi Coastal Police Station.
Students Entered the Sea to Swim
Police said eight boys entered the sea to swim. They reportedly misjudged the depth of the water and the strength of the current before being swept into deeper waters. The incident happened at around 5:30 pm, according to reports.
Locals and Water Sports Teams Started Rescue
After the students were seen struggling in the sea, their classmates and teachers raised an alarm. Local residents and water sports operators immediately joined the rescue operation. Search teams managed to recover all eight students, who were taken to a nearby primary health centre but were declared dead.
Eight Families Left Devastated
The deceased students have been identified as Yash Kiran Wankhede, Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar, Tanmay Dattatray Wahile, Kaustubh Sandeep Daund, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile, Pranav Ramdas Bansode and Sumit Bharat Ahire.
The tragedy has left families and the Alandi community in shock. Questions have also been raised about safety arrangements during the educational trip. A family friend has called for greater scrutiny of the precautions taken during the outing. Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.