Eight students on a picnic drowned in the Arabian Sea off the popular Diveagar beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday, with the bodies of all the victims recovered, police said.
The Class XI and XII students were part of a group from Winners Academy, a private coaching class based in Alandi in Pune district, they said.
Located about 170 km from Mumbai, Diveagar is known for its beach and historic temples.
A police official said a group of 48 people, comprising 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers, had gone on a picnic to the beach, which falls under the jurisdiction of Dighi coastal police station.
Eight students ventured into the sea and were swept away after misjudging the depth of the water and the current, he added.
Search and rescue teams rushed to the spot after receiving an alert and recovered the bodies, he said.
Police personnel and local authorities were present at the site to carry out further legal and administrative proceedings, the official said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Mahendra Dalvi, who represents the Alibag assembly constituency, termed the incident "heartbreaking" and on Thursday expressed disappointment over the "lack of adequate safety precautions" by the local administration.
The lives of eight students ended tragically during their trip to Diveagar from Pune, he said.
"Such incidents keep happening there time and again, so the local administration must take safety precautions. Young schoolchildren may not be able to assess the risks posed by the sea, including high tide and the depth of water," he said, stressing the need for making appropriate arrangements there.
Had these students been guided or advised about the unpredictable nature of the sea, their lives would have been saved. They should have been cautioned against venturing into the water, he added.
"Young schoolchildren have no idea about the sea. It's not a pond, it's the sea! They cannot gauge the high tide or the depth of the water. Moreover, these young children might not even know how to swim," Dalvi said.
He also urged the local MLA and the MP to look into the issue.
(With inputs from PTI)