Eight Class 11 and 12 students from a Pune coaching centre drowned at Diveagar beach in Raigad during an excursion, police said.
The students were among a 48-member group; eight boys entered the sea and were swept into deeper waters by strong currents.
Rescue teams recovered all eight bodies, while police and district authorities began examining the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Eight students from a private coaching centre in Pune's Alandi drowned at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday while on an excursion, police said. The students, from Classes 11 and 12, were part of a 48-member group that included 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers.
The group from Winners Academy had travelled to Dighi Sagari near Diveagar for the outing. According to police, eight boys entered the sea to swim and were swept into deeper waters by strong undercurrents after apparently misjudging the water's depth and conditions.
Students Swept Into Deep Waters
The incident triggered a rescue operation involving local residents, water-sports operators and police personnel. Employees of Mahakali Water Sports also joined the effort to locate the students and pull them from the sea.
Seven bodies were initially recovered, while one student remained missing for a brief period. The eighth body was later found, completing the recovery operation. The students were taken to the Borli Panchatan Primary Health Centre, where they were declared dead.
The deceased have been identified as Tanmay Dattatray Wahile, Sumit Bharat Ahire, Pranav Ramdas Bansode, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Rajveer Yuvraj Wahile, Yash Kiran Wankhede, Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar and Kaustubh Sandeep Daund.
Police Probe Underway
Police and district administration officials have begun procedures to establish the circumstances surrounding the drowning. The focus is expected to include the sequence of events leading to the students entering the water and the arrangements made for the excursion.
The incident has left the Alandi and Diveagar areas in mourning. Diveagar, located in Shrivardhan taluka of Raigad, is a popular coastal tourist destination.
The tragedy has also renewed attention on safety precautions for student groups visiting beaches, particularly when entering waters where currents and sudden changes in depth can pose risks.
