Tragedy in India: 8 students drown in the sea during a school trip

An educational trip to a beach in the western Indian state of Maharashtra ended tragically after eight students drowned in the sea, according to local media. The eight teenagers, aged 16, were on a private-school excursion from the city of Pune. A total of 48 people — 25 male pupils, 17 female pupils and six female teachers — travelled to the Raigad district, covering a distance of about 170 kilometres.

In the afternoon they went for a picnic at Diveagar beach, where the tragedy occurred. The eight students entered the sea but were swept away by strong currents. “During their visit to the beach, they entered the sea. But they underestimated the currents and drowned,” a police spokesman told The Indian Express newspaper.