Punta Cana/New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) Interpol’s assistance has been sought in the search for missing Indian-American student, Sudiksha Konanki, 20, who went missing in Punta Cana, a resort town in the Dominican Republic, on March 6.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) in Virginia has requested Interpol to issue a Yellow Notice, an international alert for locating missing persons in vulnerable situations.
Konanki was staying at a hotel in the eastern Dominican Republic and was reported missing last Friday.
She had arrived on March 3 with five friends.
Yesterday, specialized teams from the National Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, and the US Embassy’s international liaison continued an extensive air, sea, and land operation near the Riu Hotel in Punta Cana, the Dominican Today reported.
Over 300 officers, including specialists and tactical units, have been deployed to scour the coastal and surrounding areas for clues. National Police spokesperson Colonel Diego Pesqueira confirmed that all necessary government resources are being used, with forensic teams analyzing surveillance footage and conducting further investigations.
Authorities are maintaining 24/7 coordination with national and international agencies to expedite the search efforts.
Investigations have uncovered a key factor: a power outage at the Riu República Hotel, where Sudiksha was staying, during the early hours of March 6. The blackout, which lasted from March 5 to the following morning, disrupted lighting, security systems, and surveillance cameras, leaving large areas of the resort in darkness. Many guests, including Konanki, went to the beach, where security measures were ineffective.
The hotel confirmed the power failure and announced compensation for affected guests.
During the outage, Konanki was last seen around 4:15 a.m. walking along the beach with American tourist Joshua Steven Ribe. Under normal circumstances, beach access at night is restricted, but the blackout left the area unsupervised.
Authorities suspect she may have been swept away by strong sea currents, possibly drifting toward the Macao area. The search continues using thermal drones, helicopters, boats, divers, and canine units, but only some personal belongings have been recovered so far.
The young woman was staying at the Riu República hotel in the Arena Gorda area. The Riu Hotels & Resorts hotel chain said in a statement that it is collaborating with the authorities to find Sudiksha’s whereabouts.
The father of Sudiksha Konanki has urged authorities to expand their investigation and consider the possibility of kidnapping. Subbarayudu Konanki questioned the initial focus on the water, suggesting that if his daughter had drowned, her body would have washed ashore by now.
Sudiksha, a University of Pittsburgh student from Virginia, was last seen before dawn on March 6 near the Riu República Hotel beach.
The search effort includes multiple agencies, such as the National Police, Central Investigation Directorate (Dicrim), Tourist Police (Politur), Dominican Navy, and Air Force. Civil Defense and the Fire Department are also involved, focusing on areas including Uvero Alto-Macao, Macao-Playa Arena Gorda, and Cortecito-Playa Arena Gorda.
UNI RN