An ambulance at Diveagar beach after the tragedy on Thursday
A day after the Diveagar tragedy, beach-safety experts questioned if any lessons were learnt from the 2016 Murud-Janjira catastrophe. As many as 14 students had drowned then. Therefore, we regularly report drowning incidents at various beaches in the state,” another senior officer of Raigad police said.
Kashid beach has reported the highest number of drownings in the district, according to police records.
Raigad superintendent of police (SP) Anchal Dalal said, “The fellow students and teachers of the private coaching institute told us that the victims did not know how to swim but entered the seawater up to chest height. Dalal said some police personnel tried to revive the victims at the spot, but in vain. “The team immediately coordinated with other authorities, shifted the traumatised students to a safe place and ensured that they were safely sent back to Alandi overnight,” she said. Another police officer said, “Tourists, particularly students from outside, may not understand the local conditions and venture deep into the sea.
The Bombay high court had subsequently directed Maharashtra govt to take safety measures, including lifeguards, watchtowers, warning systems, lifeboats and life jackets, at popular beaches. Police identified the deceased as Rajveer Vahile, Soham Bhandwalkar, Kaustubh Daund, Yash Wankhede, Kaiwalya Vasankar, Tanmay Vahile, Sumit Ahire and Pranav Bansode from Alandi and neighbouring villages. Diveagar is considered among the safer and popular beaches along Raigad’s 122km coastline. Police claimed that a beach patrolling team was deployed in the area and had coordinated with local groups after Thursday’s accident. This can result in drowning. There should be caution boards at such sites to educate tourists. Dangerous zones should be clearly marked with flags or other visible indicators. “All these safety factors and awareness are lacking in our system.
Vitthal Bhandwalkar, the uncle of victim Soham, said, “Having adequate safety at the beach is the most essential thing in the state. How can state govt not have strict guidelines? Had these students were in life jackets, they would not have drowned. Govt is also partially responsible for this tragedy.”