Efforts are being made in the Dominican Republic to locate a student from the University of Pittsburgh who went missing on the eastern coast of the country.
A 20-year-old Indian national named Sudiksha Konanki was reportedly last seen on Thursday at the beach of the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana, as stated by the Dominican National Emergency System.
The Dominican National Police reported that Konanki disappeared at 4:15 a.m. local time on Thursday.
Authorities are questioning individuals associated with Konanki to determine the precise areas for the maritime search, including a young man who went into the water to support his account of the events alongside additional “investigative actions” that have not yet been disclosed, according to the statement.
An internet missing persons poster characterizes Konanki as 5 feet 3 inches tall, having black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen in a recognizable ensemble, featuring a brown bikini, oversized round earrings, and various remarkable accessories: a metal designer anklet on her right leg, yellow and steel bracelets on her right wrist, and a multicolored beaded bracelet adorning her left wrist.
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The poster urges: “We require your assistance to spread the message! If you are nearby, can assist with the search, or possess any information that might indicate her location, kindly get in touch. The more people who know, the higher the likelihood of bringing her home safely.”
Subbarayudu Konanki, Konanki’s father, informed CNN that his daughter traveled to Punta Cana for spring break prior to beginning pre-med studies in Pittsburgh.
“My daughter is a very nice girl. She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine.” He said his daughter wants to be a doctor.
He mentioned that on Wednesday, his daughter informed her friends she was going to a party at the resort.
Konanki’s father mentioned that her friends notified the authorities when she was missing from her room the next morning.
Konanki was on vacation with a group of five female classmates from the University of Pittsburgh when she disappeared, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where she lived.
The sheriff’s office stated that they received a call Thursday evening and have since coordinated with “federal law enforcement, the US State Department, and contacts in the DR.”
“The embassy of India in the DR has taken the lead working with our state department and law-enforcement on the ground. Our office is supporting those efforts and continuing to investigate locally,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement to CNN.
