Raigad Tragedy: A picnic tour of a group of 48 individuals, comprising 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers, turned into a fatal tragedy at the beach under Dighi coastal police station limits in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday. Eight students ventured into the sea for swimming and were swept away by the strong current.

Police said students on a picnic drowned at Diveagar beach, around 170 km from Mumbai. All the bodies have been recovered during a search operation launched after the incident.

The students, of Class XI and XII, were part of a group from private coaching class 'Winners Academy' at Alandi in Pune district, police said.

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What Led To Tragic Deaths

According to police, eight students ventured into the sea and were swept away after misjudging the depth of the water and current. Search and rescue teams rushed to the spot following an alert and recovered the bodies, he said.

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Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Yogesh Ranjankar said senior officials were in contact with the local administration. "We have assured them (top officials) that we will provide whatever assistance is required for the ongoing legal proceedings. As for the eight students who lost their lives by drowning, the necessary legal formalities are being processed. We will share further information with you as soon as it becomes available," he added.

Senior police personnel and local authorities rushed to the site to carry out further legal and administrative proceedings.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Condoles Deaths

Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the deaths in a post on X. "The incident of 8 students from Winners Academy, Alandi, drowning to death at the Dighi Port, Dive Agar beach in Raigad district, who had come for tourism, is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching," he said.

The chief minister paid his heartfelt tribute to them. "We share in the grief of all these families. All these students are from Alandi, and the local administration is coordinating to bring their bodies to Alandi. #Maharashtra," his X post read.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar also reacted to the incident, expressing her grief and condolences to the families of the victims. She spoke with the Raigad District Collector over the telephone, directing officials to closely monitor the rescue and relief operations.

NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule also expressed condolences over the incident, saying it was a very, very unfortunate incident. "We are shocked by the news. We are awaiting further details," she said.

(With Agencies Inputs)