Soham Gore, an 11th-grade science student from Alandi, Pune, experienced profound sorrow during the funeral of his friend, 17-year-old Pranav Ramdas Bansode, who tragically drowned along with seven others at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.
All eight victims were students at Winners Academy, a private coaching institution in Alandi. The Academy had arranged a one-day excursion to Raigad Fort and Diveagar beach for its students. Soham mentioned that the teachers required interested students to submit a consent form signed by their parents.
Soham recounted, “Pranav and I have been friends since we were in school. We continued our studies together at Winners Academy. We took part in the trip with other students… Those who had the signed consent forms were asked to assemble at 3 am on Thursday. In total, 42 students, including 25 boys and 17 girls, attended the trip, accompanied by two male and three female teachers. We first traveled to Raigad Fort by bus. Since the ropeway was not operating, we trekked up the fort. After descending around 2 pm, we had lunch at a hotel before heading to Diveagar beach…”
“We arrived at the beach at approximately 5 pm. The teachers instructed those who could swim to enjoy the sea, while others were advised to remain on the shore. The teachers accompanied the students who entered the water. The girls stayed in the shallow water near the beach. Although I can swim, I prefer not to swim in saltwater, so I chose to stay out of the sea and thus survived,” Soham explained.
He continued, “From the shoreline, I observed that the boys had not ventured too far into the sea; they were only waist-deep alongside our teachers. Suddenly, I noticed police and water sports personnel moving towards the water. As I approached, I saw them attempting to rescue my friends who were struggling in the water. Our teachers, Amar Adak and Mrunal Narkhade, along with some students who were strong swimmers, were also trying to save those in danger. While a few students were rescued, eight tragically lost their lives, including Pranav, my friend… I did not see any warning signs, lifeguards, or life jacket facilities at the beach.”
After the incident, Soham contacted his father, Govind Gore. “I was very worried. So I asked Soham to connect with me via video call,” his father stated.
Soham returned to Alandi with the other students and teachers on the same bus, arriving around 6 am on Friday.
In the meantime, the Raigad police conducted autopsies on the deceased at a local hospital and subsequently returned the bodies to their families early Friday morning.
Funeral services for Pranav Bansode, Sumit Bharat Ahire, Pranav Ramdas Bansode, Kaivalya Satish Vasankar, and Tanmay Dattatray Wahile took place at a crematorium in Alandi, where all four were residents.
The last rites for Rahveer Yuvraj Wahile and Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar were held in Kelagaon village, located about three kilometers from Alandi.
Yash Kiran Wankhede and Kaustubh Sandip Daundh were from Charholi Budruk. Wankhede’s funeral took place in his hometown of Amravati, while Daundh was cremated in his native place in Ahilyanagar district, as reported by the police.
Alandi, a well-known pilgrimage site in Pune, observed a bandh on Friday to honor the eight young lives lost in the drowning incident.
Numerous villagers attended the funerals, including Prashant Kurhade, President of the Alandi Municipal Council, local MLA Baba Kale, and various figures from social, political, and religious communities.
The police established a presence outside Winners Academy following the incident. According to authorities, the coaching center has around 100 students primarily preparing for 11th and 12th grades, along with other courses. The Academy was closed on Friday, and police officers were stationed outside its premises. The Alandi police noted that no complaints had been filed against Winners Academy as of yet.
