Picnic turns tragic: 8 Pune students drown in strong currents at Diveagar Beach
Eight teenagers from Pune died after being swept into the sea by strong currents at Maharashtra’s Diveagar beach in Raigad district, turning a weekend picnic into a devastating tragedy.
The victims, all aged 16, were part of a 48-member group from Winners’ Academy, a private coaching centre in Alandi.
The group had travelled nearly 170 km to the popular coastal destination for a picnic.
Raigad - A major tragedy was reported in Diveagar, Raigad, after eight people who had arrived for a trip reportedly drowned after entering the water, the group was part of a private coaching class excursion from Alandi in Pune. The bodies were brought to the Borli Panchatan… pic.twitter.com/SyOqZWMi85
— NextMinute News (@nextminutenews7) October 1, 2026
Eight students entered the sea
According to police, the group reached Diveagar beach at around 5:30 pm. Eight students entered the water but were caught in strong currents after apparently misjudging the depth and conditions of the sea.
Despite immediate rescue efforts, all eight students lost their lives.
The deceased 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.
Local water sports team joins rescue
As panic spread on the beach, Bhau Salunkhe, who runs Bhau Maruti Salunkhe Mahakali Water Sports at Diveagar, and members of his team launched a rescue operation.
The team entered the water and managed to recover the bodies of all eight students.
Police personnel and local villagers subsequently assisted in bringing the bodies ashore and completing the necessary procedures.
Bodies sent for post-mortem
Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Awati of the Dighi Sagari Borli Panchatan Police Station reached the spot with a police team after receiving information about the incident.
The bodies were taken to the Primary Health Centre at Borli Panchatan for post-mortem examinations and other legal formalities.
CM Fadnavis calls incident ‘heart-wrenching’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths, describing the incident as “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”.
He said the local administration was working to coordinate the transportation of the victims’ bodies to Alandi.
Probe ordered into picnic tragedy
Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan has ordered an inquiry into the incident and said the coaching academy would be held accountable if lapses are established.
Mahajan also said the Maharashtra government would introduce fresh safety guidelines for educational and school trips in the wake of the tragedy.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by unpredictable sea conditions at popular tourist beaches and the need for strict supervision of students during educational and recreational outings.
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