University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki went missing during a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic. The search for her, now in its fourth day, intensified on Monday. The 20-year-old junior was last seen entering the beach of the RIU hotel in Punta Cana in the early morning hours of March 6, according to Dominican Republic National Police. Konanki and five friends had traveled to the Dominican Republic on March 3 and were staying at the same hotel.
Search efforts involving drones, helicopters, divers, boats, and canine units have been launched to locate Konanki. Police believe she disappeared around 4:15 a.m. after being seen on video surveillance entering the beach with her friends, who later returned to the hotel without her. Authorities are interviewing her friends and a young man who was at the beach at the time to piece together what happened.
RIU Hotels expressed deep concern for Konanki’s disappearance and is collaborating with local authorities in the search. The hotel chain has set up communication channels to assist in sharing information among employees and authorities. The family, residing in Virginia, is working closely with officials in both countries to find Konanki. The U.S. State Department and the FBI are also involved in the investigation.
Konanki’s five friends have postponed their return to the U.S. to help in the search efforts. It remains uncertain whether her disappearance was accidental or involved foul play. The University of Pittsburgh and the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic are providing support and assistance in the investigation.
According to Chapman, Konanki is an Indian citizen as well.
