Officials are continuing the search for a University of Pittsburgh student who went missing last week during her spring break trip in the Dominican Republic.
Sudiksha Konanki, 20, was last seen early Thursday, March 6, when video surveillance cameras showed her appearing to enter the beach of the Hotel Riu in Punta Cana with a friend, who is currently under investigation, according to the Dominican Republic National Police.
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The police were first informed of her disappearance on Friday at 8 a.m. after they received a call from the U.S. embassy. Since then, officials have been coordinating with the Dominican Republic Air Force, Navy, Fire Department, and hotel staff to conduct a search via sea, air, and land with the assistance of canine units. They’ve also employed divers, drones, and helicopters.
Further information about Konanki, a U.S. permanent resident and Indian citizen, will be revealed as the investigation continues, the Dominican Republic National Police said in a March 9 statement.
“We are aware of reports of a University of Pittsburgh student missing in the Dominican Republic. Due to privacy considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time,” the State Department told TIME in an emailed statement. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release on Sunday they were working with the Department of State, FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations and the University of Pittsburgh police to help with the investigation.
The Dominican Republic is currently on a level 2 travel advisory, which encourages visitors to exercise increased caution due to crime.
In a Sunday statement, the University of Pittsburgh said they were in contact with Konanki’s family and local authorities, urging anyone with information to reach out to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. “We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” they added.
Here’s what to know.
What happened?
Knonanki first arrived to the Dominican Republic on March 3 with a group of five friends. She disappeared after 4:15 a.m. on March 6, where she was last captured on video surveillance entering the beach area with others, according to the Dominican Republic National Police.
In an interview with CNN, Konanki’s father said that his daughter had gone to the beach early that morning with her friends and other men they met at the hotel. “Her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back,” Subbarayudu Konanki, the victim’s father, said.
Officials believe a young man also entered the beach and are working to corroborate his version of events.
While some local officials appear to have told ABC News of a potential drowning, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told TIME on Monday in an email that the reports were “speculative” and said there was “no evidence of this at this time.”
The prosecutor’s office and other investigative officers are interviewing Konanki’s friends in order to figure out where exactly she went missing and search the surrounding area. Konanki’s father told CNN he wanted authorities to look into whether his daughter could have been kidnapped or human trafficked. “We don’t think she would be able to survive for more than three days in the water and I think something else might’ve happened to her,” he said.
The Riu hotel chain did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment.
Konanki’s parents are traveling to Punta Cana, per NBC News.
In a Facebook post, the Indian Embassy said they were in touch with Konanki’s parents and were “extending all assistance in coordination with government authorities of the Dominican Republic.”
