Eight 16-year-old students from Pune drowned at Diveagar Beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The students were part of a 48-member group from a private coaching centre in Alandi, Pune district, who had travelled to the beach for a picnic.

What happened at Diveagar Beach?

According to police, the group reached Diveagar Beach at around 5:30 pm. The group consisted of 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers.

Eight students entered the sea and were swept away after misjudging the depth of the water and the strength of the currents, police said.

All Eight Students Were Recovered

Bhau Salunkhe, owner of Bhau Maruti Salunkhe Mahakali Water Sports at Diveagar, and his team launched a rescue operation after the incident. The water-sports team recovered the bodies of all eight students.

Police personnel from the Dighi Sagari Borli Panchatan Police Station also reached the location. With assistance from local villagers, the bodies were taken into police custody and sent to the Primary Health Centre in Borli Panchatan for post-mortem examinations and other legal procedures.

Students Identified

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

Government Response

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as tragic and said the local administration was coordinating the process of bringing the victims' bodies to Alandi.

Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan ordered a probe into the incident. He also said the academy would be examined for accountability and that the state would issue new safety guidelines for school trips.

What We Know So Far

  • Eight students, all aged 16, died in the incident.
  • The students were from a group of 48 people travelling from Alandi in Pune district.
  • The incident occurred at Diveagar Beach in Raigad district.
  • Police said strong sea currents and misjudged water depth contributed to the incident.
  • All eight bodies were recovered.
  • A government probe has been ordered into the incident.