Dominican Republic authorities have launched an extensive search operation to find Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing last week while on spring break in Punta Cana.
Surveillance footage shows Konanki walking onto the beach with seven others around 4:15 a.m. on Thursday at the Riu República hotel. She was last seen at that time, and no one has heard from her since. Dominican police are conducting a large-scale search, using helicopters, drones, and specialized teams to comb the coastline, surrounding areas, and the waters of a nearby bay.
Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said his daughter, who was planning to study medicine, had traveled to the Dominican Republic with five friends. Her disappearance was reported to authorities on Friday morning, after the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo received an alert.
Friends of Konanki told authorities she had planned to attend a party at the resort on Wednesday night. Early Thursday morning, she went to the beach with friends and other people she had met during the trip. While the rest of the group returned shortly afterward, Konanki never came back.
Surveillance footage shows a group of five women and one man leaving the beach at 5:55 a.m. Konanki is believed to have stayed behind with a young man who, according to later footage, left the area at 9:55 a.m. without any sign of Konanki. Investigators have already questioned the young man to gather more details and are continuing to interview other witnesses in hopes of narrowing down the search area in the water.
Konanki’s friends reported her missing when she failed to return to her hotel room. Her disappearance was officially reported around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, nearly 12 hours after her last known sighting. The Riu hotel chain has said it is in close contact with authorities to assist in the investigation.
Konanki’s father, who flew to Punta Cana, has raised concerns about the possibility of foul play, including kidnapping or human trafficking. “We don’t believe she could have survived at sea for more than three days. We think something else may have happened,” he told CNN.
The investigation is also being coordinated with Loudoun County, Virginia, where the Konanki family has lived since 2006. The local sheriff’s office confirmed it is working with federal authorities and the State Department. The Indian Embassy also stated in a social media post that it is providing full support to the investigation.
Search operations are ongoing in the Bávaro coastal area, with drones equipped with advanced technology scanning the region. “We are working closely with the tourist police, Dominican Navy, Civil Defense, and other rescue teams to explore every possible lead,” the National Emergency System said in a statement.
The University of Pittsburgh is asking anyone with information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. “We are supporting the Konanki family and law enforcement in their efforts to bring her home safely,” the university said in a statement.
