PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic are still trying to find out what happened to Sudiksha Konanki.
The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh pre-med student disappeared on Thursday in Punta Cana.
Konanki was in the island nation with five other students from the university, WPXI reported.
She was last seen on surveillance video on a beach with several people around 4 a.m. Thursday. Five women and a man left the beach about two hours later, but Konanki was not among them, CNN reported. NBC News reported it was believed that she stayed behind with a man, who was seen leaving the beach just before 10 a.m. He was alone.
CNN reported the man has been interviewed by police about what happened after Konanki’s friends left. Her friends have also been interviewed, TMZ reported.
“She went to the beach on March 6 early morning around 4 a.m. with friends and some other guys they met at the resort,” her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told CNN. “After that, her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back, did not show up from the beach.”
Officials at the hotel where Sudiksha Konanki was staying with her friends, the Riu hotel chain, issued a statement, saying it was helping with law enforcement.
“We want to express our sincerest empathy towards the family and friends during this very difficult time. The safety and wellbeing of our guests are our highest priority, and we are committed to doing everything possible to assist in this situation,” the company said, according to CNN.
National Police in the Dominican Republic said an “exhaustive search has been initiated by sea, air and land” as they used drones, helicopters, divers and boats along with canine units, NBC News reported.
The U.S. Department of State is working with local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic. The embassy of India on the island is taking the lead as Sudiksha Konanki has Indian citizenship, NBC News reported.
The Konanki family lived in Loudoun County, Virginia. The sheriff’s department there is also assisting in the investigation, WPXI reported.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told WPXI, “It is our understanding that the US is deploying considerable federal assets" to help in the search.
The U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Dominican Republic on June 18, 2024, telling Americans to use increased caution.
"Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault, is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic," the Department of State said in the alert last year.
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