A resort in the Dominican Republicis in the spotlightfollowing thedisappearance of a 20-year-old college studentfrom the U.S. who was vacationing in the Caribbean country less than a week ago.
Sudiksha Konanki, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, went missing on Thursday, March 6, and was last seen that morning “when she entered the beach of the Riu Hotel in Punta Cana,” the Dominican Republic National Police said in a statement, referring to the Riu República Hotel.
The police, who are investigating Konanki’s case along with an array of local and international authorities, have saidKonanki was staying at the resort with five friendswho all arrived in the country on March 3.
She was last seen on surveillance cameras with a group walking onto the beach around 4:15 a.m. local time on Thursday, police said.
After the walk on the beach, most of the group went back to the hotel but Konanki stayed with one other person,ABC Newsreported on Monday, March 10, citing a Dominican Republic investigative police report.
No one has been arrested or accused of a crime.
Subbarayudu Konanki, Sudiksha’s father, earlier told media outlets thathis daughter was in the Dominican Republic for spring breakwith friends.
“She wanted to have a nice break with her friends in Punta Cana — she came with her friends on March 3rd,” Subbarayudu told local radio stationWTOP.
Here is what we know about theRiu República Hotel.
What Is the Riu República Hotel?
According to the company’s website, the República has more than 1,300 rooms distributed across three buildings. Among its amenities are eight swimming pools, satellite television, air conditioning, a room safe and minibar and beverage dispensers.
It also contains nine restaurants and 10 hotel bars. Entertainment activities for guests include live music, shows and beach parties, while the hotel’s more athletic visitors can enjoy such sports as volleyball, windsurfing and kayaking.
“Punta Cana is one of the most popular Caribbean holiday destinations for its natural beauty and heavenly beaches,” according to RIU’s description of the hotel, which describes itself as adults-only.
What Has the Hotel Said About Sudiksha Konanki’s Disappearance?
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Tuesday, March 11, the hotel company expressed concern and sympathy after Konanki vanished.
“At RIU Hotels, we are deeply concerned about the disappearance of one of our guests, who has not been seen since the early hours of yesterday. From the moment her absence was reported, we have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search,” the company said.
“We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time," company officials continued. “The safety and well-being of our guests are our highest priority, and we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation.”
Sudiksha Konanki.Facebook
RIU went on to say that “our team is providing full support to the authorities in the search, and an emergency protocol has been activated to ensure that all necessary measures are taken."
“Additionally, we have established an internal communication channel so that any of our employees, across our five hotels in Punta Cana, who may have relevant information can share it with us or the authorities. We are grateful to everyone involved in this search and will continue working hand in hand with the relevant authorities to clarify what has happened,” the company said.
In an interview withNewsNationon Monday, D’Lani Sweeney, who said she was a guest at the República at the same time as Sudiksha, alleged that the hotel did not warn visitors that the ocean waves at the time were huge and dangerous.
“I remember the waves being a lot bigger than they normally were,” Sweeney told NewsNation. “Me and my friends were on the beach and I remember telling them that I was not going into the ocean because I know I could swim but not that well enough to feel safe in the ocean.
“I know a couple of friends who did go in but they weren’t in for a while, and there weren’t as many people in the ocean as we normally would see,” she said.
Sweeney added: “There was no communication from the resort at all. … It was just kind of left up to your own discretion.”
“I know we would go down and another group of people would go down to take beach pictures,” she said. “One night there was a security guard whistling at people to come in from the beach who were going in, but that was the only night that I had seen it.”
In response to her account, a spokesperson from RIU wrote in a Tuesday email to PEOPLE: “The red flag placed on the beach as a warning indicated that the sea had a strong current and very high waves, which warned guests of the danger of entering the open sea in these conditions. With a red flag, [i]t is forbidden to go into the sea.”
Power Outage Stirs Guest Anger amid Student’s Disappearance
According to the local news outlet, the outage lasted from Wednesday, March 5, through the following morning, leaving large parts of the property in darkness.
Sweeney, who said she was another hotel guest, also mentioned the power outage in a MondayInstagrampost.
She told NewsNation about the conditions she experienced at the República, alleging faulty keycards that made it difficult for guests to get in and out of rooms; the water and air conditioning being shut off; no internet service; and poor food.
Another woman who said she was a guest at the resort, Melaun Acuff, said in a recent TikTokvideothat she arrived at the República on March 3 and encountered a check-in that lasted for more than an hour due to the amount of people who were there.
She recalled the power going out that led her to go night swimming because there was nothing to do and she also said her room key was not working. Acuff said her friend’s purse was stolen, too.
“You at least expect the basics, and we even didn’t get that,” she said of her “ridiculous” experience.
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The RIU spokesperson told PEOPLE that “the electrical failure at the hotel and the tragic disappearance of our guest have no relation.”
The spokesperson said the outage had largely been addressed “in just two hours” — noting that “the security cameras were working well and showed quality footage” — and was then “totally solved” before Sudiksha Konanki went to the beach on Thursday.
source: people.com
