Eight students from Pune drown at Diveagar beach in Raigad

Eight students from Maharashtra’s Pune district drowned at Diveagar beach in Raigad district on Thursday (October 1, 2026).

According to the Raigad police, the students drowned after being caught in strong sea currents. The eight students were part of a 48-member group, comprising 25 boys, 17 girls, and six teachers. All students were in Class XI and XII and were studying at Winners Academy, a coaching class in Alandi in Pune district, located around 170 km from Diveagar.

“The group arrived at the beach around 5.30 p.m. Eight of them entered the sea and were swept away by the current,” said a Raigad police official, adding that the bodies were retrieved by evening.

According to the police, all eight students were rushed to the primary health centre at Borli, where doctors declared them dead. The deceased have been identified as Tanmay Vahile, Sumit Ahire, Pranav Bansode, Kaivalya Wasankar, Rajveer Vahile, Yash Wankhede, Soham Bhandwalkar, and Kaustubh Daund.

Calling the incident “heart-wrenching”, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The local administration is coordinating to bring their bodies to Alandi, their hometown.”

Probe ordered

Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan ordered an investigation into whether necessary safety precautions were taken for the trip. “As per the information, only two teachers were present with the 48 students. 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,” Mr. Mahajan said.

NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule expressed her condolences, saying, “Tourists visiting the seashore for leisure are requested to exercise caution when entering the sea.”