Authorities in the Dominican Republic are searching for a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, Sudiksha Konanki, who disappeared along the country’s eastern coast.
Konanki, an Indian national, was last seen early Thursday morning on the beach near the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana, according to the Dominican National Emergency System. Surveillance footage confirmed she was with a group of young adults before she went missing at approximately 4:15 a.m. local time, the Dominican National Police reported.
Investigators are questioning individuals who were with Konanki at the time, including a young man who entered the water, to determine the search’s focus. Additional investigative steps have not yet been disclosed.
A missing persons poster describes Konanki as 5 feet 3 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown bikini, large round earrings, and several accessories, including a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right wrist, and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left wrist. The poster urges people in the area to assist in the search and share any information that could help locate her.
Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told CNN that Sudiksha had traveled to Punta Cana for spring break ahead of her pre-med studies. He described her as ambitious and aspiring to become a doctor. He said she had informed her friends on Wednesday that she was heading to a party at the resort.
According to him, she went to the beach around 4 a.m. on March 6 with friends and some other individuals they had met at the resort. However, while her friends returned after some time, Sudiksha did not. When she failed to return to her room the next morning, they alerted authorities.
Search operations have involved multiple agencies, including the Dominican National Emergency System, Civil Defense, the Dominican Navy, the National Police, and the Tourism Police (POLITUR). Teams equipped with drones, helicopters, and other resources have been scouring the coastal region of Bávaro, but no significant leads have emerged.
Konanki had traveled with five female classmates from the University of Pittsburgh. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where she resided, reported being contacted Thursday evening and has since coordinated efforts with federal law enforcement, the U.S. State Department, and the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic. The university has also expressed support, urging anyone with relevant information to reach out.
Her father has called for a broader investigation, suggesting authorities should explore possibilities beyond drowning, including kidnapping or human trafficking.
“We don’t think she could have survived in the water for more than three days. Something else might have happened,” he told CNN from Punta Cana.
The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Dominican Republic, warning travelers to exercise increased caution due to concerns about violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault. The Konanki family, originally from India, has been living in the United States as permanent residents since 2006. The Embassy of India has assured full cooperation with Dominican authorities to assist in the search for Sudiksha
