A search is on for a University of Pittsburgh student who went missing while on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, a citizen of India and a U.S. resident who lives with her family in Virginia, was traveling with five other female students from her college in Punta Cana last week when she disappeared.
She was reported missing March 6 and appears to have vanished between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. that morning, a Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told NBC News, adding that authorities are looking at all possibilities.
“Right now it runs the gamut from something accidental to foul play," the spokesperson said. "It is all at this point under consideration. Nothing's been ruled out."
Sheriff Michael Chapman told NBC News that on the morning of her disappearance, Konanki went to the beach with friends and that they returned, but she did not.
The embassy of India in the Dominican Republic has taken the lead working with the U.S. State Department and local law enforcement on the ground, the office's spokesperson added.
Local government-funded agency Defensa Civil Dominicana said Konanki disappeared early March 6 while walking on a beach in the province of Altagracia and that search and rescue efforts, which includes the use of drones, helicopters, boats, divers and canine units, were ongoing, news channel Telenoticias reported March 9.
The other students who traveled with Konanki have stayed behind to aid in the search instead of returning to the United States as scheduled, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said. Konanki's parents have also traveled from Virginia to the Dominican Republic, according to Pittsburgh TV station WTAE.
Konanki is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen in the early hours wearing a brown bikini, big round earrings, a metal designer anklet and several bracelets, according to a flyer circulating on social media and posted by Dominican Today, a local English-language news outlet.
The student was staying at the Riu República hotel before she went missing. "We have been working closely with local authorities, including the Police and Navy," the Riu Hotels & Resorts hotel chain said in a statement to Dominican Today, "to carry out a thorough search."
The University of Pittsburgh said it is in contact with the Konanki's family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia. "We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her," a spokesperson told NBC News, "and bring her home safely."
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For more on the case, keep reading.
Where Did Sudiksha Konanki Travel to for Spring Break?
Sudiksha Konanki, a junior in biology at the University of Pittsburgh, traveled to the Dominican Republic on March 3 during spring break.
Who Did Sudiksha Konanki Travel With?
The 20-year-old headed to the Dominican Republic with five friends to celebrate the University of Pittsburgh's spring break.
Where Was Sudiksha Konanki Staying?
Konanki had been staying at the Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana, an all-inclusive resort.
Following her disappearance, the hotel told NBC News, "We have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time … we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation."
A hotel spokesperson shared with the outlet that prior to the incident, red flags, which indicated that "the sea had a strong current and very high waves," were flying on the beach to warn guests.
When Was Sudiksha Konanki Reported Missing?
Konanki was reported missing on March 6 after her friends returned from a beach walk without her. She is believed to have disappeared between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. that morning.
When Did Search and Rescue Efforts Begin for Sudiksha Konanki?
Following her disappearance, local officials began an investigation. Local civil defense confirmed it had begun searches on land and by sea, while a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office in Loudoun County in Virginia—where Konanki was from—told NBC News their investigations included obtaining video, going through cellphone evidence and talking to people who were with Konanki.
What Do Officials Believe May Have Happened to Sudiksha Konanki?
Although a body has not been recovered, three Dominican Republic officials—who are leading the investigation—told ABC News on March 9 that they believe Konanki died by drowning.
However, Loudoun County Public Information Officer Thomas Julia told NBC News that they have "an obligation to look at all possibilities, interview all parties and look at all phones that may provide info of value and are doing so."
What Have Key Figures Told Police About Sudiksha Konanki’s Night on the Beach?
Joshua Riibe, a key witness in the search for Konanki, shared their encounter on the beach with Dominican authorities, alleging that while at the beach with a friend and Konanki's party of six, he and Konanki were swept into a current while kissing and talking in "waist-deep water."
"When I finally reached the ground on the beach, I pulled her in front of me," Riibe told authorities, according to a transcript viewed by E! News. "She went to gather her belongings since the sea had moved us. She wasn't out of the water, as it was up to our knees."
"She was walking at an angle in the water," he continued. "The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn't hear her answer because I started vomiting all the seawater I'd swallowed."
The St. Cloud State University student said he fell asleep on a nearby beach chair and believed she returned to her room. "My friend asked me if I knew where the girl was," he said. "I told him I thought she had gone to her room, and he told me she never returned."
What Has Sudiksha Konanki’s Family Said About the Case?
Following Konanki's disappearance, her father Subbarayudu Konanki told CNN his daughter had been traveling before beginning pre-med studies.
"My daughter is a very nice girl," he said. "She's ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine."
However, more than 10 days after her disappearance, her loved ones asked Dominican Republic authorities to declare her dead, a police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira told NBC News March 17, sending a letter requesting the declaration of death.