A University of Pittsburgh student was seen smiling in a photo at her Dominican Republic resort during spring break—moments before she went missing while still wearing the same distinctive bikini.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, from an upscale Washington, DC suburb, went missing after reportedly "walking on the beach" in Punta Cana, a popular vacation spot, according to authorities. She was last spotted around 4:50 a.m. last Thursday along the shore near the Riu Republica Resort. At the time of her disappearance, Konanki was wearing a multicolored beaded bracelet on her left wrist, yellow and steel bracelets on her right arm, an anklet on her right leg, and large round earrings.
Chilling Final Photo
A missing persons poster describes her as 5 feet 3 inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair. Konanki, an Indian national living in Chantilly, Virginia, was visiting the Caribbean island with five University of Pittsburgh friends, according to Fox 32.
The Indian embassy is working with officials from Loudoun County, Virginia, as well as multiple agencies in the Dominican Republic to aid in the search efforts.
"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 spokesperson from Virginia's Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said on Saturday.
Defensa Civil, a search and rescue team from the Dominican Republic, began searching for Konanki on Saturday evening.
"The Orange Search and Rescue Unit, along with other institutions, worked from early Saturday hours, trying to find the whereabouts of the young woman, Sudiksha Konanki, without success," Defensa Civil said on social media.
Jared Stonesifer, a spokesperson for the University of Pittsburgh, said that the school has been in touch with 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," the school said in a statement.
Desperate Search Continues
According to her LinkedIn profile, Konanki is expected to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh in 2026, though her major remains unknown. Before college, she attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.
Several resort guests shared their experiences, with some recording videos showing faucets in showers and sinks running dry.
One visitor mentioned that the Wi-Fi was down, adding that "people are in the lobby charging their phones."
Another traveler noted that some guests had to charge their devices and use fans behind the receptionist's desk.
Meanwhile, a group of women staying at the resort were seen sitting in darkness while eating a meal they had managed to "scavenge together." "They have one restaurant to feed a couple thousand people," another said.
