A tragic picnic at Maharashtra's popular Diveagar beach resulted in the drowning of eight students from a Pune coaching class, sparking concerns over beach safety and administrative oversight.
Key Points
- Eight students from a Pune coaching class drowned during a picnic at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra.
- The victims, Class XI and XII students, were swept away after misjudging the sea's depth and current.
- All bodies have been recovered following search and rescue operations by emergency teams.
- Shiv Sena MLA Mahendra Dalvi criticised the local administration for inadequate safety precautions at the popular tourist spot.
- Dalvi emphasised the need for guiding young visitors about the unpredictable nature of the sea to prevent future tragedies.
Eight students on a picnic drowned in the Arabian Sea off the popular Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday, with the bodies of all the victims being 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, they said.
Located around 170 km from Mumbai, Diveagar is famous for its beach and historic temples.
A police official said a group of 48 individuals, comprising 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers, had gone for a picnic at the beach under Dighi coastal police station limits.
Details Of The Tragic Incident
Eight students ventured into the sea and were swept away after misjudging the depth of the water and current, he added.
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.
Calls For Enhanced Beach Safety
Meanwhile, terming the incident as "heartbreaking", Shiv Sena MLA Mahendra Dalvi, who represents the Alibag assembly constituency, on Thursday 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 added.
"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.
