TRAGIC TURN in MISSING U.S. STUDENT
THE DETAILS …
A 20-year-old student from the University of Pittsburgh, Sudiksha Konanki, is believed to have tragically lost her life during a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic. According to reports, Konanki was vacationing in the popular resort area of Punta Cana when she went missing. Authorities suspect that she may have drowned after being caught in a powerful wave while swimming in the ocean, though her body has not yet been recovered. The incident has left her family, friends, and university community in shock as search efforts continue.
Konanki was staying at the Riu Republica Resort with a group of five other female students from her university. She was last seen in the early hours of Thursday, March 6, after surveillance footage captured her walking onto the beach near the resort around 4:15 a.m. It is believed that she went for a swim with another individual, who has since been questioned by local authorities as part of the ongoing investigation. The Dominican National Police, along with other agencies, have been working to piece together the events leading up to her disappearance, while the U.S. Embassy and the Embassy of India have also been involved in coordinating efforts.
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The search for Konanki has been extensive, with Dominican authorities deploying drones, helicopters, and naval units to comb the coastal waters and nearby areas. Despite these efforts, no trace of her has been found, and her family has expressed doubts about the drowning theory, urging investigators to explore other possibilities. Konanki, a pre-med student with aspirations of becoming a doctor, was described by her father as ambitious and kind-hearted. The University of Pittsburgh has offered its full support to her family, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, where Konanki resided, has been working closely with federal agencies to assist in the investigation.