Search intensifies for missing US student in Dominican Republic

A 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student has been missing for six days while on vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Currently, authorities are intensifying search efforts through various channels, including land, sea, and air, hoping to find the missing student as soon as possible.

Despite nearly a week having passed, limited leads are available regarding the specific circumstances of the student's disappearance. The Dominican Republic National Police have established a "high-level committee" with participation from the Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and international liaisons from the U.S. Embassy to jointly investigate.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader stated at a press conference this week that authorities are investigating Konanki's disappearance as an "accident" and have launched a "special maritime search operation." He emphasized, "We are concerned about this, and all government agencies are actively searching." Abinader also pointed out that the Dominican Republic receives over 11 million tourists annually and prides itself on its tourism safety. "We are one of the safest countries in the world, not only in Latin America, but in all aspects."

Notably, two months before Konanki's disappearance, another tragedy occurred in the waters near Punta Cana, where four tourists were swept away by strong currents and drowned. According to the Dominican Republic Civil Defense agency, the bodies of these four tourists were found in January of this year near Arena Gorda beach in the Bávaro area of Punta Cana. The Associated Press reported that the drowning incident occurred on January 18 when red flags were displayed on the beach, warning tourists of dangerous sea conditions, such as strong currents and rough waves.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia (where Konanki's family resides) told CNN that they were informed that sea conditions were rough in Punta Cana on the night of Konanki's disappearance, but it could not be confirmed whether any warning signs were in place at the time. CNN has reached out to Dominican Republic authorities for comment on the sea conditions on March 6.

According to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Konanki traveled to the Dominican Republic on March 3 with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh. The Dominican Republic National Police reported that on March 6, at approximately 4:15 a.m., surveillance cameras captured a group of people—Konanki, five other women, and two men—entering the beach. National Police sources told CNN that the group had been drinking in the hotel lobby about an hour before heading to the beach.

Investigators revealed that surveillance footage subsequently captured five women and one man leaving the beach at approximately 4:55 a.m., but Konanki was not among them. A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation stated that Konanki appeared to have stayed on the beach with a man in his 20s. Surveillance footage showed that the man left the beach area before 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, but Konanki was not with him.

Authorities are currently questioning the man but have not named him as a suspect. A source familiar with the investigation told CNN that the man is currently housed in a hotel room under police surveillance but has not been formally detained. According to the source, the man told authorities that he and Konanki had both gone into the ocean, but he felt unwell, left the water, and fell asleep on a lounge chair.

Another law enforcement official familiar with the investigation stated that police have questioned the man multiple times, and while the details he provided have varied, there have been no major inconsistencies in his account of the night's events. The source believes that translation issues may be contributing to the discrepancies. Law enforcement officials said that when Konanki did not return to her room, her companions began searching for her. The RIU hotel chain stated in a statement that the group reported Konanki missing to hotel staff around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.

A source familiar with the investigation told CNN that Konanki's sarong-style cover-up was found on a lounge chair on the beach, but there were no signs of violence. RIU Hotels & Resorts said on Wednesday that the hotel began experiencing power outages the day before Konanki went missing. The company said power was restored to 70% capacity on the morning of March 5 and fully restored by 2:13 a.m. on March 6.

Konanki's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, stated that his daughter is "very brilliant" and "wants to pursue a career in medicine." He said his daughter went to Punta Cana for spring break before preparing for pre-med studies. The Konanki family is from India and has lived in the United States since 2006, and are permanent residents of Virginia.

People in Konanki's hometown are praying for her safe return. Konanki's family friend, Shekar Pendem, told CNN affiliate WUSA, "It's been four days, and everyone is very worried." Dominican police said on Monday that they are re-questioning those who traveled with Konanki and employees at the hotel where they were staying. The Dominican Republic National Police posted on social media that as of early Tuesday morning, more than 300 police officers, specialists, tactical units, and aquatic search teams were searching the area around the hotel for any information about the woman's whereabouts.

Police stated that the government has provided "all necessary resources" to find Konanki, including a team of forensic technicians who are analyzing images captured by video surveillance cameras in the area. According to the Associated Press, Subbarayudu Konanki and his wife, Sreedevi, flew to Punta Cana with two family friends. He has requested that authorities expand the scope of the investigation.

According to the Associated Press, WTOP radio cited a report stating that the student's belongings, including her cell phone and wallet, were left with her friends, "which is unusual because she always carries her phone." It is unclear where this information originated. Konanki's father earlier told CNN that he hopes local authorities "also investigate other possibilities, including whether this is a kidnapping or human trafficking case."

Civil Defense spokesman Jensen Sánchez told the Associated Press that the search "is being carried out at sea because it is presumed that she has drowned." He noted that in warm waters, it can take more than a week for a body to surface. Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told NewsNation on Monday that it is too early to presume that Konanki has drowned. "It's too early to make that assumption," Chapman said.

Chapman told NBC on Tuesday that detectives from the sheriff's office have traveled to the Dominican Republic and met with Konanki's family. "We decided to send our own detectives to go down there with them (the FBI) so that we don't miss anything. We want to make sure... we get firsthand information," Chapman said in an interview with NBC. "Some of the information we've been getting so far has been a little disjointed, inconsistent, and we want to get firsthand information."

Subbarayudu told CNN on Sunday, "We don't think she could have survived in the water for more than three days." He added, "I think something else might have happened to her."