Who is Sudiksha Konanki?

Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student from the University of Pittsburgh, has disappeared while on spring break in the Dominican Republic.

Sudiksha travelled to the Caribbean country with five friends on Monday (3 March) and was last seen on CCTV entering the beach at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana after 4.15am on Thursday (6 March). They were also

According to CNN, the investigation established that five women from the group, along with one man, left the beach around 5.55am. One man reportedly stayed behind with Sudiksha.

Konanki's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told the outlet: "My daughter is a very nice girl. She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine."

"She went to the beach on March 6 early morning around 4am with friends and some other guys they met at the resort. After that, her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back, did not show up from the beach," her father continued.

Sudiksha's friends alerted authorities when they realised she hadn't returned and wasn't in her room.

"So far, the authorities, multiple authorities here in the Dominican Republic have searched in the waters. They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched in the near bay, bushes, trees. They went multiple times around the same areas," he said.

The hotel chain said in a statement: "We want to express our sincerest empathy towards the family and friends during this very difficult time. The safety and wellbeing of our guests are our highest priority, and we are committed to doing everything possible to assist in this situation."

The Dominican National Emergency System is aiding search efforts on the island.

In a statement on Sunday, they said: "In coordination with the Tourism Police, the Civil Defense, the Dominican Navy, the National Police, and other rescue organizations, four teams of drones equipped with advanced technology have been deployed to conduct a thorough search in the coastal area of Bávaro."

Meanwhile, the University of Pittsburgh has urged anyone with information to get in contact with the Loudoun County Sherrif’s Office.

"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," the university said in a statement.

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