Picnic turns into tragedy as 8 students drown off Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad

Eight male students of a private coaching institute drowned in the Arabian Sea while on a picnic at the popular Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday (October 1, 2026), with the bodies of all the victims recovered, police said.

These students of Class XI and XII were part of a group from a private coaching institute 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 — 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers — had gone for a picnic at the beach under the 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.

Search and rescue teams rushed to the spot following an alert and recovered the bodies, he said.