Raigad (Gurpreet Singh) — A coastal excursion turned into tragedy on Thursday when eight junior college students from Pune district drowned after being swept away by strong currents at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. Police and local rescue teams recovered the bodies of all eight victims following an intensive search operation.
The deceased students, enrolled in Classes XI and XII, were part of an excursion organized by Winners Academy, a private coaching institute based in Alandi, Pune. According to law enforcement officials, the touring group comprised 48 people, including 25 boys, 17 girls, and six teachers, who had travelled to the coastal belt for a day-long picnic.
Investigators stated that the tragedy unfolded when a group of students ventured into the sea to swim but misjudged the water depth and the intensity of the undertow. Strong currents quickly pulled eight boys away from the shoreline.
Emergency responders, police personnel, and local villagers immediately initiated rescue operations upon being alerted. Seven bodies were brought ashore earlier in the day, while the body of the final missing student was recovered by late evening. All eight victims were transported to the primary health centre at Borli, where medical officers formally declared them dead on arrival.
Local authorities and police officials are currently completing the required administrative procedures and post-mortem formalities before handing over the mortal remains to their grieving families.
The incident follows another recent drowning tragedy in the state, where two teenage friends lost their lives in Palghar district while recording social media videos during the Ganeshotsav holidays after jumping into the swirling waters of a local river without assessing its depth.
