Death toll rises to five in drowning incident at Devgad beach; missing student's body recovered

In a tragic incident unfolding in Devgad, Maharashtra, the death toll has risen to five as authorities discovered the body of the missing male student, Ram Dicholkar, around 4 pm on Sunday near the cemetery in Devgad Fort. The unfortunate incident initially claimed the lives of four women students—Prerna Dongre, Ankita Gaalte, Anisha Padwal, and Payal Bansode. The victims were part of a group of 35 students from Sainik Academy, a training institute in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune.

The group, on a picnic to the coastal town located 500 km south of Mumbai, faced the tragedy when some members entered the water around 3 pm. The police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the community is grappling with the profound loss resulting from what was meant to be a day of leisure turning into a heartbreaking disaster.