Raigad, October 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Eight Class 11 and 12 students from Pune drowned while swimming in the Arabian Sea off Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Thursday, turning an educational outing into a tragedy that left families and political leaders across the state mourning.
The victims, all aged 16 and residents of Alandi in Pune district, were part of a 48-member group from Winners Academy, a private coaching institute in Alandi. The group comprised 25 male students, 17 female students and six faculty members.
According to police sources, the group reached the Dighi-Sagari coastline near Diveagar around noon. Some of the male students entered the sea to swim but were caught in strong currents amid rising tides and sudden changes in water depth.
Eight students were swept into deeper waters. Local fishermen, emergency rescue teams and Dighi coastal police immediately launched a search operation, but all eight were subsequently found dead.
The deceased were identified as Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile, Tanmay Dattatray Vahile, Soham Tukaram Bhandvalkar, Kaustubh Sandeep Daund, Yash Kiran Wankhede, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Sumit Bharat Ahire and Pranav Ramdas Bansode.
Their bodies were taken to a regional primary healthcare facility for post-mortem examinations, while arrangements were being made to transport them to Alandi.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep grief over the deaths and said the incident was “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”. He said the local administration was coordinating the process of bringing the bodies back to Alandi and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also described the incident as “extremely heartbreaking and unfortunate” and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar contacted Raigad District Collector Kishan Narayanrao Jawale after receiving information about the incident. She directed officials to coordinate emergency operations, provide medical support to the surviving students and expedite administrative procedures, while also calling for immediate assistance to the bereaved families.
Maharashtra NCP President Sunil Tatkare expressed condolences and stressed the need for continued efforts to strengthen safety measures along the Diveagar coastline.
State Minister Aditi Tatkare said local rescue units had guided tourists at the site, but the strong tide proved fatal before intervention could prevent the tragedy. She added that state officials were in direct contact with the victims’ families.
Police proceedings are underway at Dighi Sagari police station to determine the circumstances of the drownings and whether any safety or supervision lapses contributed to the incident.
The tragedy has cast a pall of grief over Alandi, where families are awaiting the return of the remains of the eight teenagers.
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