A horrific tragedy struck the popular tourist destination of Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district when eight 16-year-old students from Pune drowned after being swept away by strong sea currents. Police confirmed that the bodies of all eight victims have been retrieved. The teenagers were part of a 48-member group—comprising 25 boys, 17 girls, and six teachers—from Winners’ Academy, a private coaching center based in Alandi, Pune district, who had traveled approximately 170 km for a coastal trip.
The incident occurred around 5:30 PM when the group visited the beach. According to a police official, eight students stepped into the sea and were caught in powerful currents after misjudging the depth of the water. Local water sports operator Bhau Salunkhe, owner of ‘Bhau Maruti Salunkhe Mahakali Water Sports,’ launched an immediate rescue effort with his team, risking their lives to retrieve the bodies from the water.
Upon being notified, Assistant Police Inspector (API) Santosh Awati from the Dighi Sagari Borli Panchatan Police Station arrived at the scene with a police team. With assistance from local villagers, authorities took custody of the bodies and sent them to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Borli Panchatan for post-mortem examinations and legal formalities.
The deceased students have been identified as Tanmay Dattatray Vahile, Sumit Bharat Ahire, Pranav Ramdas Bansode, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile, Yash Kiran Wankhede, Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar, and Kaustubh Sandeep Daund.
Expressing deep grief over the tragedy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the incident “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching” in a post on X, confirming that local authorities are coordinating efforts to transport the bodies back to Alandi. Meanwhile, Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan ordered a probe into the drowning, stating that the coaching academy must be held accountable and announcing that the state will soon issue updated safety guidelines for school trips. Stay tuned to know more only with us.
-
-
-
-
