Further details is revealed in the search for missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic.
Sudiksha Konanki, a missing University of Pittsburgh student, was last seen going for a swim on a Dominican Republic beach, according to two police sources familiar with the inquiry.
Konanki, a 20-year-old legal permanent resident and Indian citizen, went missing early Thursday while on a spring break trip to a resort in Punta Cana with a group of students, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office reported that Konanki and one of her traveling companions were from Loudoun County.
According to the sources who spoke to ABC News, Konanki’s clothing was found on a makeshift beach bed near the shore where she vanished. The sources claim that no proof of violence has been discovered by police.
The sources indicated that Konanki and a group of individuals went to the beach at around 4 a.m. local time on Thursday after attending a nightclub on Wednesday. Around 5:55 a.m., the other women Konanki was traveling with returned to their hotel, where they were seen on security footage making their way back to their rooms, according to the sources.
An investigating police report from the Dominican Republic claims that a man remained on the beach with Konanki. According to the police report, the man, whose identity was withheld, told them that he and Konanki went swimming and were trapped in a large wave.
When he returned to the beach, the man reportedly informed police, he puked and fell asleep on a beach bed. According to the accounts, Konanki was not there when he woke up.
According to the sources, the individual was seen returning to his hotel room around 9:55 a.m. on security footage.
According to the Dominican Republic’s Civil Defense chief, the individual is not regarded as a suspect in Konanki’s death.
The chief stated that the probe is now being handled as an accident.
“In the ongoing operation to find Konanki, law enforcement officials are expanding the perimeter of the beach and water search area,” the chief said.
Over the weekend, ABC News was informed by three Dominican investigators that Konanki is thought to have perished in the sea.
The Public Ministry of the Dominican Republic told ABC News that the last time Konanki was spotted on the beach on security camera footage was at 4:15 a.m. on Thursday.
The U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic contacted the Public Ministry for the first time on Friday, according to the Ministry.
Officials said Konanki’s friends who were with her around the time of her disappearance were questioned by police and have not been charged with crimes.
A joint investigation Konanki’s disappearance is being conducted by the FBI, the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutor’s office, sources close to the investigation said.
The investigators will question everyone involved in the incident again, including hotel employees and the man Konanki’s friends say she was with before she disappeared, the sources said.
All security camera footage since the day Konanki and her five friends arrived on the island is now being analyzed, sources said.