Sudiksha Konanki, 20 a Pittsburgh student missing -

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A 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student went missing during a vacation in the Dominican Republic, and this called for a massive search operation across land, sea, and air.

Disappearance at Punta Cana Beach

University of Pittsburgh junior Sudiksha Konanki was last spotted early Thursday morning on the beach of the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana. Surveillance cameras showed her arriving at the beach with seven other people at 4:15 a.m., according to a report from the Dominican National Police. She did not come back, and a missing person report was made later that day after she didn’t check in.

Agencies from the Dominican Republic, the US, and India have united their efforts in search operations, deploying drones, helicopters, and sniffing dogs in a determined quest to find her.

A Bright Future in Medicine

Konanki’s family says she was a hardworking and ambitious student who wanted to be a doctor. “My daughter is a very nice girl,” said her father, Subbarayudu Konanki. “She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”

Originally hailing from India, the Konanki family settled in Loudoun County, Virginia, in 2006. People in her hometown are seriously worried about her disappearance, with everyone praying for her safe return.

Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who serves Loudoun County, described the incident as a “worst nightmare” scenario for any parent. “I have two daughters, and I can’t imagine what her family is going through right now,” he said.

Konanki had come to the Dominican Republic on March 3 with five other female students for a spring break. Her father reported her missing at 5:43 p.m. Thursday, and then the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office worked with the State Department and federal law enforcement to notify Dominican authorities.

The Hours Leading to Her Disappearance

Surveillance video revealed Konanki partying with five women and two men in the hotel lobby around 3 a.m. on Thursday. About an hour and a half later, the group was observed walking towards the beach.

Konanki’s father described, “Her friends returned after some time, but my daughter did not. She never came back from the beach.” Around 5:55 a.m., cameras recorded five women and one man leaving the beach—without Konanki.

Her friends looked for her before notifying hotel employees, who were officially told of her disappearance at about 4 p.m. The only indication of her having been there was a sarong-type cover-up left on a lounge chair. There were no signs of violence at the scene, investigators said.

Police have been interrogating a man in his 20s, who is suspected to be the last individual to have seen Konanki. He has given different explanations of what happened before she vanished.

The man told police that he and Konanki entered the ocean, but he came out of the water after becoming ill and slept on a lounge chair, according to a police source. In one alternative account, he speculated that she might have been carried away by a wave. A third version indicated that he had seen her walking on the beach with the water at her knees when he last saw her. CCTV later caught the man exiting the beach area at 9:55 a.m., but not Konanki.

A Comprehensive Search Effort

Konanki’s vanishing has set off a massive search operation. The Dominican Republic’s National Police has stepped up efforts by re-questioning witnesses, scanning surveillance cameras, and employing specialized marine gear.

The Dominican National Emergency System has sent four drone teams equipped with sophisticated technology to assist in the search. “Authorities have searched the water, employed helicopters, and searched nearby areas, including bushes and trees,” said her father.

Exploring Every Possibility

On Monday, the Dominican National Police announced the establishment of a “high-level commission” that would include the Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, and the International Liaison of the U.S. Embassy to coordinate the investigation.

The father of Konanki has requested authorities to look into all the options, such as abduction or human trafficking. “We don’t believe she could have lived in the water for more than three days. Something else could have occurred to her,” he stated.

Sheriff Chapman acknowledged that foul play cannot be ruled out. “We’re pursuing every possible lead,” he stated. “The fact that such an extensive search has been conducted without finding her could be a sign that she is still alive.”

In the face of mounting public speculation, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has asked the public not to jump to conclusions. “An extensive investigation is ongoing, and we advise against making any unsubstantiated suppositions regarding what transpired,” they made a statement.

While the search continues, the authorities are optimistic about a breakthrough to provide closure to Konanki’s family and community. Keep Reading Questiqa.us and Get more News Headlines At Our Social Platforms And Do Follow.