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Who is Sudiksha Konanki? Indian-origin University of Pittsburgh student goes missing in Dominican Republic
Sudiksha Konanki was last seen on March 6 while walking along the beach at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student of Indian origin at the University of Pittsburgh, has been reported missing in the Dominican Republic. According to the Dominican Civil Defense, Konanki was last seen on March 6 while walking along the beach at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana.
Who is Sudiksha Konanki?
A resident of Loudoun County, Virginia, Konanki was in the Dominican Republic on a spring break trip with a group of six female Pittsburgh students, including another Loudoun County resident.
According to a spokesperson from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), the group had been travelling together when Konanki went missing.
“Our office was contacted on Thursday evening about a missing female from Loudoun County who was with a group of other people traveling in the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana specifically,” a LCSO spokesperson told the New York Post.
An online missing persons poster describes Konanki as 5 feet 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown bikini, large round earrings, and a metal designer anklet on her right leg, along with yellow and steel bracelets on her right wrist and a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left.
The missing poster urges: “We need your help to get the word out! If you are in the area or can help with the search, or if you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please reach out. The more people who know, the better the chances we can bring her home safely.”
The search for Konanki began early on March 8 but yielded no results. Authorities resumed their efforts at 6 a.m. on March 9, utilising drones and helicopters provided by the Dominican Armed Forces.
Konanki graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. She is currently studying at the University of Pittsburgh and is expected to graduate in 2026, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The University of Pittsburgh issued a statement, expressing their full support in assisting Konanki's family and local authorities.
"University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki's family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely," university spokesperson Jared Stonesifer told the New York Post.
