Eight students drown off Diveagar beach during school picnic

Eight 16-year-old students from Winners Academy, a private coaching institute in Alandi, Pune, drowned in the Arabian Sea off Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday.

The group of 48, which included 25 boys, 17 girls, and six teachers, had traveled to the beach for a school picnic. According to police, the students entered the sea and were swept away after misjudging the water depth and strong currents.

Local residents and a water sports team assisted in the rescue operation, and all eight bodies have since been recovered. The deceased have been identified as Yash Kiran Wankhede, Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar, Tanmay Dattatray Vahile, Kaustubh Sandeep Daund, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile, Pranav Ramdas Bansod, and Sumit Bharat Ahire.

Local officials and political leaders have expressed grief over the tragedy. Some representatives have called for improved safety precautions and better administration at the beach to prevent similar incidents involving students who may not be able to assess maritime risks.