International authorities are searching for a University of Pittsburgh student who disappeared while on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic last week.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was with a group of students visiting Punta Cana when she went missing, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia.
Konanki appears to have vanished between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Thursday, sheriff’s office spokesperson Thomas Julia said.
Authorities have said Konanki was not reported missing until that night, but Sheriff Michael Chapman indicated in an interview that her disappearance was apparently reported to Dominican law enforcement before that.
Konanki’s family resides in Virginia, and the sheriff’s office was contacted to report her disappearance, Chapman said.
Konanki was traveling with a group of five other female University of Pittsburgh students, Julia said. The five others were scheduled to return to the United States on Friday but opted to stay behind to aid in the search, Julia said.
The morning of her disappearance, Konanki went to the beach with friends. They returned, but she did not, Chapman said. He said it appears Dominican authorities have obtained video of when the group was last seen on the beach.
Chapman said his office is working with Dominican authorities and state and federal agencies, including the State Department.
In a statement, the FBI said Dominican authorities are leading the investigation but that the bureau "stands ready to assist our international partners with any requests for assistance."
As Konanki is also a citizen of India, Chapman said, the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic is also helping in the investigation.
Authorities are examining every possibility that could explain Konanki's disappearance, Julia said.
“Right now it runs the gamut from something accidental to foul play," Julia said. "It is all at this point under consideration. Nothing’s been ruled out.”
Obtaining video, looking through cellphone evidence and talking to people who were with Konanki remains a high priority, Julia said.
La Altagracia Civil Defense, the local Dominican Republic emergency operations agency, said it was coordinating an extensive search.
“Several brigades have been deployed by sea and land to find the whereabouts of the foreigner,” the agency said in a statement on Facebook.
A University of Pittsburgh spokesperson urged anyone with information on Konanki’s disappearance to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
“University officials 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,” the spokesperson said.
The Dominican Republic is classified as level 2 in the State Department's four-tier travel advisory rubric, meaning travelers are advised to exercise "increased caution" traveling there. It warns that violent crime is a concern throughout the country.
Chapman, the Loudoun County sheriff, said authorities are still holding out hope for a positive outcome.
"Obviously, we're hoping for the best outcome here, but we really don't know where it's going to go just yet," he said.
