Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old Indian-origin student from the University of Pittsburgh, has gone missing while on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic. She was last seen on March 6 near the beach of the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
Konanki was part of a group of six women who had travelled together for the holiday. Reports indicate that she was at a beach party at around 4.00 am on March 6, accompanied by her friends and others they had met at the resort.
However, while her friends returned, Konanki did not. Her disappearance was reported to hotel authorities later that day at around 4.00 pm.
As reported by The New Indian Express, Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, stated that multiple search efforts have been carried out, including aerial and ground surveillance of the waters and surrounding areas.
“They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched near the bay, bushes, and trees,” he said. Despite these efforts, there has been no sign of her so far.
The Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic confirmed via social media that it is in contact with Konanki’s family and is extending all possible assistance. Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, Virginia, where Konanki resides, has also been informed.
A missing person’s 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, a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right hand, and a multicoloured beaded bracelet on her left hand.
Her father has urged authorities to expand their search beyond the waters and nearby terrain, considering possibilities such as abduction or human trafficking.
The University of Pittsburgh has expressed concern over her disappearance, stating, “We are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely.”
