An Indian student at the University of Pittsburgh disappeared mysteriously last week during a trip to the Dominican Republic, a country in the Caribbean. She is believed to have died by drowning, officials told ABC News. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, an Indian citizen and a legal permanent resident of the United States, had gone missing.
Ms Konanki was reported missing on March 6. She disappeared between 3 and 5 am. Authorities are investigating all possible causes for her disappearance, ABC reported.
She was a chemistry and biological sciences student at the University of Pittsburgh. She received a diploma in biological sciences from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 2022, per her LinkedIn page.
According to a viral poster shared by local English-language news outlet Dominican Today, Ms Konanki is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, has brown eyes and black hair.
She was last spotted in the early hours of March 6 in a brown bikini, large round earrings, a metal designer anklet, and multiple bracelets. Ms Konanki was last seen on the CCTV on March 6 at 4:50 am on the beach at Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana, per several social media posts.
Search and rescue operations with drones, helicopters, boats, divers, and canine units were underway after Ms Konanki disappeared early on March 6, according to reports.
Ms Konanki’s parents had also visited the Dominican Republic from Virginia.
She was one of six women travelling to Punta Cana, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said.
The other students who accompanied Ms Konanki chose to stay back to help in the search rather than making their planned return to the United States, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said.
The student was lodging at the hotel in Riu Republica. Riu Hotels & Resorts hotel chain said they were working closely with local authorities, including the Police and Navy, to carry out a thorough search.
A representative of University of Pittsburgh told NBC News, “We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely.”