Eight Pune students drown at Diveagar beach during coaching class picnic

Eight teenage students from a Pune coaching institute have drowned after being swept away by strong currents at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.

The victims, all boys in Classes XI and XII, were part of a 48-member picnic group from Winners Academy, a private coaching centre in Alandi, located about 170 km from the beach. The group had arrived at the popular coastal spot at around 5:30 pm on Thursday when the tragedy unfolded.

How the tragedy happened

According to the Raigad police, the students entered the sea but misjudged the depth of the water and the strength of the undercurrent. They were quickly pulled out into deeper water.

Search and rescue teams, aided by local residents, launched an immediate operation to retrieve them. While all eight boys were eventually pulled from the water and rushed to the primary health centre at Borli, doctors there declared them dead on arrival.

The deceased have been identified as Tanmay Vahile, Sumit Ahire, Pranav Bansode, Kaivalya Wasankar, Rajveer Vahile, Yash Wankhede, Soham Bhandwalkar, and Kaustubh Daund.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes on the beach as locals desperately tried to save the teenagers, administering CPR and attempting to revive them on the sand as ambulances arrived.

Questions over supervision

The incident has sparked immediate questions about safety measures and institutional responsibility. Maharashtra’s Disaster Management Minister, Girish Mahajan, has ordered an investigation into whether proper safety precautions were taken.

A key focus of the inquiry will be the number of supervisors present. While police records initially listed the group as comprising 25 boys, 17 girls, and six teachers, Mahajan suggested the level of oversight may have been much lower.

"As per the information, only two teachers were present with the 48 students," Mahajan said. "It is necessary to investigate whether ample vigilance was exercised and also how permission was granted for students who could not swim to enter the sea."

Official response

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the drownings as "heart-wrenching" and confirmed that local authorities are working to transport the bodies back to Alandi.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar spoke with the Raigad district collector to coordinate assistance for the families, while local political leaders urged future tourists to exercise extreme caution near the shoreline.

The beach falls under the jurisdiction of the Dighi coastal police station, which is currently handling the administrative and legal proceedings following the deaths.