By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-13 12:15:36 | Updated at 2025-03-13 16:38:39
4 hours ago
The Dominican Republic hotel where missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki vanished last week issued a shocking statement, distancing itself from the disaster and insisting it is fully operational.
Riu Hotels & Resorts released a statement Wednesday in which it stressed that incidents at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana hotel were 'completely unrelated' to the student's disappearance.
It came after widespread complaints of power outages and no running water at the resort.
While police continue to search for Sudiksha, the hotel is open and busy. There were even people sunbathing on its beach while police combed the sand and waves for any sign of her.
When asked to comment about her disappearance, the hotel told Daily Mail: 'The electrical outage occurred during the early hours of Tuesday, March 4 to Wednesday, March 5, specifically at 01:27 AM.
'Two hours later, service was restored to 70%, while the remaining power supply was fully reinstated on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, specifically at 02:13 AM, which is before the time of the disappearance.'
The Spain-based hotel operator, which has 98 locations across the globe, explained that the lobby and common areas at the hotel had electricity 'throughout the entire day of March 5 and the early hours of March 6.'
It also said that the cameras that are part of its surveillance system were functioning during the day and night since there was enough lighting in the area.
Sudiksha Konanki traveled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for spring break on March 3 and vanished from the beach at Riu Republica Hotel three days later
Joshua Riibe was the person who last saw Sudiksha Konanki on the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana
'Throughout the night and early morning of Wednesday to Thursday, Sudiksha Chowdary Konanki was seen in various areas of the hotel, enjoying the facilities in the company of other young guests,' Riu Hotels & Resorts said.
'The last recorded image of her was at 04:17 AM, when she was seen leaving a hotel bar in a group heading towards the beach.'
When pushed, a spokesman offered a follow-up statement expressing sympathy for the girl's family.
Sudiksha was last seen with Joshua Riibe, a 24-year-old college senior from Iowa.
The pair were part of a large group who went to the beach together at around 4am on the morning of her disappearance.
It was initially reported by local press that Riibe told police he and Sudiksha went for a swim and were caught by a large wave.
He said he emerged from the water and fell asleep, according to local reports.
Police are yet to confirm his story.
Surveillance video footage obtained by Dominican Republic news outlet Noticias SIN showed Joshua Riibe (left) and Sudiksha Konanki (second from left) following the young woman's friends and another man to the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel before Konanki disappeared March 6
Sudiksha Konanki vanished from the Riu Republica resort in Punta Cana last Thursday, three days after arriving to celebrate spring break with five friends from the University of Pittsburgh
Riibe has assisted police in the Dominican Republic so far. The authorities there remain convinced that Sudiksha drowned.
Her family and American police are still pushing for a full investigation.
Riibe, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, could be seen holding a cup with a beverage and placing his left arm behind Konanki's back as they trailed the group.
At about 4:55 am, the hotel security camera system showed two of her friends returning to the hotel.
The camera picked up another female friend accompanied by a man, identified by Noticias SIN as Carter Johnson, walking into the building at 5:05 am.
The same camera would show Riibe, barefoot and shirtless, as he slowly walked back to his room at 8:54 am with Konanki nowhere in sight.
