India, Oct. 3 -- On Thursday morning, eight Class 11 students from Alandi left home with their friends, teachers and a day at the sea ahead of them. By Friday, the town was preparing to receive their bodies.

The Diveagar trip, meant to be a day of friendship, excitement and memories, ended with eight 16-year-olds drowning at the Raigad beach, leaving behind grieving parents, unfinished dreams and a town struggling to understand how a school outing turned into a tragedy.

The students of Winners Academy and Study Centre, Alandi, drowned around 5:30pm on Thursday after entering the sea. Their deaths plunged Alandi and neighbouring villages into mourning, while questions emerged over the supervision and safety arrangements during the excurs...