Three Pune Students Drown in Pavana River During Outing in Maval
Pimpri Chinchwad, 4th May 2026: Three youths from the city drowned in the Pavana river at Thugaon village in Maval taluka on Sunday afternoon, marking the second such fatal incident in the region within two days, police said.
Teams from Pune Rural Police, along with local rescuers, launched a search operation and later recovered the bodies. The incident comes close on the heels of another tragedy on May 1, when three men drowned in the Jadhawadi dam at Navlakh Umbre village. On the same day, one more person had lost his life in the Pavana river at Salumbre village.
According to Wadgaon Maval police, a group of eight college students, including three women, had visited Thugaon for an outing. During the visit, Ayan Shaikh (20), a resident of Hadapsar, entered the river but reportedly misjudged its depth and began to struggle.
“Two of his friends, Prathamesh Shinde (21) and Ashwin Bhalerao (19), both residents of Yerawada, jumped in to help him. However, all three were swept under the water,” a police officer said.
Nilesh Garade of the Wanyajeev Rakshak group said his team rushed to the spot after receiving information. By the time they arrived, local residents had already initiated rescue efforts and managed to retrieve the bodies.
Pintu Mankar, associated with a private ambulance service, said one of the victims’ friends informed him that the group had gathered for a brief outing ahead of their examination scheduled on Monday. “They were preparing to leave when the incident occurred,” he said.
Police have registered a case of accidental death, and further inquiry is underway.
