International authorities are searching for a University of Pittsburgh student who vanished while on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic last week.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, disappeared while traveling with a group of students in Punta Cana, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, according to NBC News.
“We now believe there were six female students of the University of Pittsburgh traveling to Punta Cana,” Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Thomas Julia said. “At least two of whom, including the missing person, are residents of Loudoun County.”
Konanki disappeared between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Thursday.
While police noted that she wasn’t reported missing until that evening, Sheriff Michael Chapman mentioned in an interview that Dominican law enforcement received a report of her disappearance earlier.
Chapman added that Konanki’s family, from Virginia, reached out to the sheriff’s office to report her missing.
Most of the group went back to the hotel, but Konanki stayed on the beach with one other person, according to a Dominican Republic investigative police report cited by ABC News.
The group was set to return to the US on Friday, but five students decided to remain in the Dominican Republic to help with the search.
“So the embassy of India in the Dominican Republic has taken the lead on the ground, working with our State Department and local law enforcement there,” Julia added.
The FBI has been notified and that Dominican police continue to lead the investigation, with the bureau “ready to assist our international partners with any requests for assistance.”
Police believe that she later drowned while swimming. As of Monday, no one has been charged in connection with her disappearance.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia]
