Sudiksha Konanki, 20, went missing from a beach early on March 6. CNN
Authorities in the Dominican Republic are searching for 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student who vanished from a beach in Punta Cana. She was last seen early Thursday morning at the Riu República Hotel beach, according to the Dominican National Emergency System.
Surveillance footage near the beach captured Konanki with a group of young adults around 4:15 a.m. Police have questioned those present, including a young man who entered the water, to determine the search area. They have not yet disclosed further details about the ongoing investigation.
Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said she had traveled to Punta Cana for spring break before beginning her pre-med studies. “My daughter is a very nice girl. She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine,” he shared.
She had told friends she was going to a party at the resort on Wednesday night. Around 4 a.m. on March 6, she went to the beach with friends and some other people they met at the resort. While her friends returned later, she did not. When she was still missing the next morning, they reported her absence to authorities.
Since then, multiple agencies in the Dominican Republic have conducted land and sea searches. They have used helicopters, drones, and boats to scan the area, including nearby bays, bushes, and trees. However, no trace of Konanki has been found so far.
The Riu hotel chain, where she was staying, issued a statement expressing sympathy for her family and friends. “The safety and wellbeing of our guests are our highest priority, and we are committed to doing everything possible to assist in this situation,” they stated.
Konanki was in Punta Cana with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh. The sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, Virginia, where she lived, is involved in the case. They are coordinating with US federal agencies, the US State Department, and Dominican Republic officials.
The Embassy of India is also working with authorities to aid in the search. Konanki’s family, originally from India, has lived in the United States since 2006.
On Sunday, Dominican authorities deployed drone teams with advanced technology to search the coastal region of Bávaro. The University of Pittsburgh urged anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. “University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family and authorities, offering full support to bring her home safely,” they stated.
Konanki’s father is urging authorities to broaden their investigation. “They’re only looking in the water, but I want them to also consider kidnapping or human trafficking,” he said. “We don’t think she could have survived more than three days in the water, and I believe something else might have happened.”
The US State Department has a level two travel advisory for the Dominican Republic, warning visitors to exercise caution due to violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault. Travelers are advised to remain aware of their surroundings and avoid displaying valuables.
The search continues, with authorities exploring all possibilities in hopes of finding Konanki.
