The household of a school pupil from Loudoun County, who disappeared on a spring break journey to the Dominican Republic, desires authorities there to broaden their search.
The College of Pittsburgh junior was final seen early Thursday morning. Native and federal regulation enforcement, together with Dominican police, are all engaged on the investigation collectively.
An exhaustive search of the seashore in Punta Cana. The final place Sudiksha Konanki was seen, has been ongoing. The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, expressed concern and empathy for the Konanki household, whereas talking about on-going search.
He mentioned search crews have been specializing in the ocean as a result of, based on one of many individuals who was final with Konanki, whereas they had been on the seashore, they had been hit by a wave, and that’s what led to this example.
Her 5 pals who traveled together with her for the Spring Break journey had already returned to their rooms from the seashore, however the sheriff mentioned Konanki stayed behind with the opposite group. The Loudoun County Sheriff confirmed Dominican authorities have spoken to a younger man and two others, not from the College of Pittsburgh, who had been final identified to be with Konanki.
Dominican authorities mentioned they’re re-interviewing witnesses and lodge employees on the Riu Resort, which is the place Konanki was staying.
Konanki’s household and shut household pals are actually within the Dominican Republic.
“Up to now they haven’t been capable of finding my daughter,” mentioned her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, in an interview with WTOP. “They’re utilizing helicopters, drones, and scuba diving and boats.”
Her father mentioned she’s a pre-med junior at College of Pittsburgh who went to the Dominican Republic to take pleasure in spring break with pals. They by no means imagined this could occur. They’re now urging authorities to increase their search from the ocean and resort space.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Workplace has filed what’s often called a yellow discover, which is a worldwide police alert to be issued by Interpol which might assist authorities observe her down if she’s discovered to have traveled to a different nation.
The sheriff mentioned at this stage they don’t seem to be ruling something out, from attainable drowning, to abduction to the hope she will probably be discovered alive.
“We’re happening the presumption that she’s nonetheless alive, and we need to make it possible for we’re exhausting each attainable lead that we are able to, and we really feel we’re doing that,” mentioned Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.
Nextdoor neighbor and longtime household buddy Shekar Pendem mentioned he’s identified Konanki since she was a toddler.
“She was an excellent pupil. She went to one of many nice colleges,” he mentioned.
Pendem was one of many first folks the household known as after they realized Konanki was
lacking. He believes the Dominican authorities now have to widen their search. past the resort.
“This is occurring for 4 days and the household is so unhappy …” he mentioned. “They need to increase the search past simply the resort space to the town and city, and hopefully that will give some clue. We’re actually hoping for her to return.”
Ramprakash Krisnamanaidu, a household buddy who traveled to the Dominican Republic with the Konankis is also urgent for a broader search zone past the seashore and water.
“That’s why we really feel that this could possibly be an abduction or kidnapping as a result of not within the water, not anyplace, they could not discover her within the resort, they could not discover her in hospitals, then the place is she?” he mentioned.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Loudoun County, mentioned he stays in touch with Konanki’s household and her disappearance has hit his neighborhood laborious.
“You recognize, the Indian neighborhood in Virginia could be very close-knit and one thing occurs, one thing that occurs to 1 occurs to all,” he mentioned.
Authorities say they know there’s numerous hypothesis as to what might have occurred to Konanki on social media however are urging folks to await the outcomes of the investigation earlier than drawing any conclusions.
