E-Paper
Did missing Indian-origin student Sudiksha Konanki drown in Dominican Republic? Here's what we know
Sudiksha Konanki, the Indian-origin student who went missing in the Dominican Republic last week, believed to have died by drowning, as per officials.
Sudiksha Konanki, the Indian-origin student who went missing in the Dominican Republic last week, believed to have died by drowning after being swept up in a large wave, as per the officials.
Three Dominican officials informed ABC News that Konanki, the 20-year-old student at University of Pittsburgh, arrived at a beach in Punta Cana with six other individuals on Wednesday night. While most of the group members returned to the resort, she remained on the sand with one other person until early Thursday.
Sudiksha Konanki's missing probe
Citing the police report, the outlet said Konanki went swimming with the other person and was confronted by a large wave.
Konanki was a lawful permanent resident of the United States and was residing in a wealthy suburb of Washington, DC.
She was last captured on security footage on March 6 at 4:15 AM local time, the Dominican Republic Public Ministry told ABC News. Family and friends raised alarm when Konanki did not return from the beach, and the hunt for her started early on March 8.
The authorities interrogated the “young man” who was swimming with Konanki, but it is yet to be clarified if he was also a Pitt student.
Also Read: ‘She wanted to pursue a career in medicine,' Sudiksha Konanki's distressed father speaks out
Loudoun County Sheriff reacts to drowning report
Speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette over drowning reports, a representative for the sheriff's office in Loudoun County stated that speculation about her drowning may be “based on her last known location near the beach, but [there's] no evidence to support that conclusion at this time.”
While crews launched intensive searches over the white sands, rescue personnel commenced a desperate hunt for her, employing drones and helicopters to comb the water.
Sudiksha Konanki's father speaks out
Meanwhile, her father Subbarayudu Konanki has urged authorities to broaden the scope of the probe beyond the water.
“They’re only searching the ocean, but what if she was taken? What if this wasn’t an accident?” he said after reaching the Dominican Republic. “We don’t think she could survive this long in the water, but that doesn’t mean she drowned. We need answers.”
