Pune: A picnic by a private coaching academy in Pune ended in tragedy on Thursday after eight Class XI and XII students drowned while swimming at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. All eight bodies were later recovered.

Eight students from a private coaching academy in Alandi, Pune, drowned after entering the sea at Diveagar beach in Raigad district on Thursday. Police said the students were swept away after reportedly misjudging the depth and current of the water.

The students were part of a group of 48 people, including 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers from Winners Academy, which provides coaching for Class XI and XII students.

The group had travelled from Alandi in Pune district to the Diveagar area, around 170 km from Mumbai, for a picnic.

After the students were swept away, local residents, police personnel and rescue teams immediately began a search operation.

A local water sports operator, Bhau Maruti Salunkhe, and his team also joined the rescue effort and helped search for the missing students. Police and villagers worked together to recover the bodies from the sea.

ALSO READ | ‘Hear her’: Madhya Pradesh HC sets aside viral Kumbh Mela girl Monalisa Bhosle’s birth record change

Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Awati and personnel from the Dighi Sagari Borli Panchatan Police Station also reached the spot.

All eight bodies were eventually recovered and taken to the Primary Health Centre at Borli Panchatan for medical and legal procedures.

Students identified

The deceased students were identified as Tanmay Dattatray Vahile, Sumit Bharat Ahire, Pranav Ramdas Bansode, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile, Yash Kiran Wankhede, Soham Tukaram Bhandvalkar and Kaustubh Sandeep Daund.

Police said further investigation is underway. Authorities and local officials remained at the site to complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures.

According to the police, eight students entered the sea to swim but were unable to accurately judge the water's depth and the strength of the current. They were subsequently swept away.

The incident triggered panic among other students, teachers, local residents and tourists at the beach. Rescue efforts continued until all eight students had been located.

The tragedy has once again highlighted the risks associated with swimming in the sea, where currents and changing water depth can be difficult to judge even from close to shore.