Tragedy at Diveagar beach: Eight students drown during coaching class picnic
After misjudging the water's depth and current, the students were swept away. All bodies have been recovered
Eight students from a Pune coaching class drowned off Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district during a picnic. The students were swept away by the sea's currents after venturing into the water, leading to a tragic loss of life. The incident has prompted discussions about the necessity of enhanced safety measures and advisement for visitors at popular coastal locations, especially concerning the unpredictable nature of the sea.
Eight students from a Pune coaching class drowned off Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district during a picnic. The students were swept away by the sea's currents after venturing into the water, leading to a tragic loss of life. The incident has prompted discussions about the necessity of enhanced safety measures and advisement for visitors at popular coastal locations, especially concerning the unpredictable nature of the sea.
Eight students from a Pune coaching class drowned off Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district during a picnic. The students were swept away by the sea's currents after venturing into the water, leading to a tragic loss of life. The incident has prompted discussions about the necessity of enhanced safety measures and advisement for visitors at popular coastal locations, especially concerning the unpredictable nature of the sea.
Eight students drowned in the Arabian Sea off the popular Diveagar beach during a picnic in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday.
The bodies of all the victims were recovered, police said.
These students of Class XI and XII were part of a group from private coaching class 'Winners Academy' based at Alandi in Pune district.
Located around 170 km from Mumbai, Diveagar is famous for its beach and historic temples.
A police official said a group of 48 people, comprising 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers, had gone for a picnic at the beach under Dighi coastal police station limits.
Eight students ventured into the sea and were swept away after misjudging the depth of the water and current, he added, according to news agency PTI.
Search and rescue teams rushed to the spot following an alert and recovered the bodies, he said.
Police personnel and local authorities are present at the site to carry out further legal and administrative proceedings, the official said.
Meanwhile, terming the incident as "heartbreaking", Shiv Sena MLA Mahendra Dalvi, who represents the Alibag assembly constituency, expressed disappointment over the "lack of adequate safety precautions" by the local administration.
The lives of eight students ended tragically during their trip to Diveagar from Pune, he said.
"Such incidents keep happening there time and again, so the local administration must take safety precautions. Young schoolchildren may not be able to assess the risks posed by the sea, including high tide and the depth of water," he said, stressing the need for making appropriate arrangements there.
Had these students been guided or advised about the unpredictable nature of the sea, their lives would have been saved. They should have been cautioned against venturing into the water, he pointed out.
"Young schoolchildren have no idea about the sea. It's not a pond, it's the sea! They cannot gauge the high tide or the depth of the water. Moreover, these young children might not even know how to swim," Dalvi said.
He also urged the local MLA and the MP to look into the issue.
—With agency inputs.