Authorities are questioning a young man who is believed to have been with University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she went missing, NBC News reports.
Konanki, 20, was seen on surveillance cameras near the beach with several people around 4 a.m. on Thursday. A short time later, cameras captured five women and a man leaving the beach, while Konanki is believed to have remained alone with a young man, according to NBC News. The man was captured on cameras leaving the beach alone shortly before 10 a.m.
Police say they are also questioning others last seen with Konanki on Thursday to establish where their search should be focused.
Konanki traveled to Punta Cana with five other women who are all Pitt students. The group of women reported Konanki missing.
A spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia says the Department of State has been contacted and the embassy of India in the Dominican Republic is taking the lead, working closely with local law enforcement. Loudoun County authorities are also supporting the investigation.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic standing on a beach while searching for a missing Pitt student
A Pitt spokesperson said in a statement that the university has been in contact with Konanki’s family.
“We have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely,” the statement reads in part.
Defensa Civil says it’s conducting an extensive search for Konanki in coordination with several institutions.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson says, “it is our understanding that the US is deploying considerable federal assets” to locate Konanki and support the Dominican National Police.
The Pitt spokesperson suggests that anyone with information on Konanki’s whereabouts call the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at 703-777-1021.
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