Latest news with #DominicanRepublicNationalPolice
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
15 dead, more than 100 hospital transfers after roof of Dominican Republic club collapses
At least 15 people are dead after the roof of a Santo Domingo nightclub collapsed early Tuesday, according to Dominican Republic police. It's not clear what caused the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, a renowned club in the National District, to collapse. The disaster unfolded during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Perez, local media reported. There were 101 ambulance transfers to different hospitals, and search and rescue efforts are underway, Juan Manuel Mendez, the nation's director of emergency management operations, said in an update on Instagram around 8 a.m. The number of those hospitalized may be higher as multiple people may be transferred by an ambulance at a time. "We are still working, searching for people in the rubble. We presume that many of them are still alive, that's why the authorities here with their teams will not stop until we find the last person in that rubble," Mendez said in a video shared on the Dominican Republic National Police Instagram Perez was found and is in stable condition, the singer's manager, Evelio Herrera, said in an Instagram post. "Let's keep praying that more people continue to appear alive," Herrera added. Photos of the scene by local media show the building's fallen roof in pieces, crumbling cement walls and piles of debris. "Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones," Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó wrote on X on Tuesday morning. She said that the city's national disaster response committee is active. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader toured the collapse site Tuesday morning and said the main objective was to "save lives." "All night, we've followed it minute by minute to make sure all government resources are being utilized. We have a long way to go, and we have faith in God that we'll save more people who are alive here," he said, according to a video shared by police. This article was originally published on
NBC News
19-03-2025
- NBC News
American last to see missing Pitt student alive has left the Dominican Republic
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — An American who was the last person believed to have been seen with missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki boarded a plane and was taking off from the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after he said authorities forced him to stay in the Caribbean nation and confiscated his passport. Joshua Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, was the last person believed to have been seen with Konanki on the morning she disappeared, March 6. On Wednesday evening, NBC News spotted Riibe at Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, the nation's capital. He was with a man who Riibe's attorney's have identified as his father. They were accompanied by a woman at the check in area who stayed behind as they went through the security screening. NBC News spotted an airport employee assisting in boarding. Riibe's departure ends what his attorneys allege was a days-long detainment in the Dominican Republic as investigators questioned him in connection with Konanki's disappearance. Riibe, 22, has been kept under police supervision at the hotel where Konanki was staying on a spring break trip when she vanished, according to Riibe and his attorneys. Riibe's passport was also confiscated by local authorities, they said. Riibe has not been charged with a crime nor have any suspects been named in Konanki's disappearance, according to the Dominican Republic National Police. Riibe's departure comes a day after a Dominican judge ruled that he was no longer required to be under police supervision. Riibe would have needed to go to the U.S. Embassy is in Santo Domingo to obtain an emergency U.S. passport in the country. 'The US Embassy is in communication with him and his family and his lawyer, and we are providing consular assistance as well,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a briefing Wednesday before Riibe's departure. NBC News reached out to Riibe's attorneys, Dominican Republic National Police and the country's Attorney General about Riibe's departure. The attorney general replied: "I cannot confirm that information." The other parties have not yet responded. Konanki's disappearance has captivated the world's attention in recent weeks. Konanki, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, was on spring break with five friends at a beach resort in Punta Cana when she went missing in the early hours of March 6. That morning, her friends returned to the hotel from the beach, but Konanki stayed behind with people she met from the trip, according to authorities. Riibe, who is from Rock Rapids, Iowa, told local investigators in an interview last week that he was on the beach with Konanki shortly before she disappeared, according to a transcript of the interview obtained by NBC News. The transcript states that Riibe and Konanki were 'in waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little' before a wave crashed, taking them both 'out to sea.' Police have said they found no signs of violence at the beach. A spokesperson for the hotel where Konanki was staying also said that red flags, which indicate 'that the sea had a strong current and very high waves,' were flying on the morning she went missing. Speaking with reporters outside of their home in Loudoun County, Virginia, Konanki's parents said that they've given up hope that their daughter is still alive. 'We are coming to terms with the fact that our daughter has drowned,' Konanki's father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said through tears. 'This is incredibly difficult for us to process.' The parents called on local police to declare their daughter deceased earlier in the week. Konanki's father added Tuesday that they came to reason that their daughter drowned based off of the information U.S. and local authorities gave them. 'Both sides of the authorities have shown us how high the ocean waves were at the time of [the] incident,' he said. 'And both sides of the authorities also clarified that the person of interest is not suspect from the beginning.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki's parents ask Dominican police to declare her dead
March 18 (UPI) -- The parents of Sudiksha Konanki requested that authorities in the Dominican Republic officially declare their daughter dead about two weeks after the University of Pittsburgh student went missing in Punta Cana. "Given these circumstances, and after much deliberation, we request that the police department proceed with the legal declaration of her death," Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki wrote to officials, adding how investigators believed it to be a drowning "and no evidence of foul play has been found." Konanki, a 20-year-old Indian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, was reported missing March 6 while on vacation with six other female college friends in the Caribbean country. She was last seen about 4:50 a.m. local time on a beach at Punta Cana's Riu Republica Resort. Authorities announced the Konanki, a biology student, likely died in the ocean by drowning, and despite an extensive search, no body has been found. A hotel spokesperson said that red flag notices, which indicate "that the sea had a strong current and very high waves," were flying the night Konanki disappeared. Meanwhile, Dominican Republic National Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira confirmed the Konanki family sent the government a letter requesting a declaration of death. "Initiating this process will allow our family to begin the grieving process and address matters related to her absence," her parents wrote. "While no declaration can truly ease our grief, we trust that this step will bring some closure and enable us to honor her memory." Separately, a court hearing for 22-year-old Joshua Riibe, the last person to see Konami alive, was set for 2 p.m. local time Tuesday as the Iowa resident and student at Minnesota's St. Cloud State University remained in custody and petitioned for his freedom. Riibe argued that that his rights were violated, as he was held in hotel custody, and no charges have been filed against any individual. On Sunday, Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman, in the Virginia county where the Konanki family lives, told CNN that Riibe had been "very forthright with our detectives" and saw no inconsistencies with Riibe's testimony. Riibe, according to his attorney, "has been confined to the hotel since the investigation began. He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes. So, no, he is not free to leave." The sheriff's office wrote Tuesday that Sudiksha's family "has expressed their belief that she drowned." "While a final decision to make such a declaration rests with authorities in the Dominican Republic," Chapman's office added, "we will support the Konanki family in every way possible as we continue to review the evidence and information made available to us in the course of this investigation."
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Family of missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki asking police to declare her dead
The family of missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki has asked police in the Dominican Republic to declare her dead. Dominican Republic National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira told NBC News that her family sent the agency a letter requesting a declaration of death. Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh and an Indian citizen, vanished before dawn on March 6 in the resort town of Punta Cana. Authorities are scouring the waters in case she drowned. Minnesota student Joshua Riibe has not been named as a suspect but has been detained by Dominican police and is believed to be the last person to see Konanki. Dominican authorities confiscated Riibe's passport Friday as part of the investigation, his attorneys told NBC News. On Sunday, he and his attorney met with officials on the beach. >>>Search for Pitt student missing in Dominican Republic intensifies On Monday, Riibe's attorney officially requested his release. A judge is expected to issue a ruling on Tuesday, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information. According to the transcript of an interview with prosecutors, reported by Dominican media as well as NBC and Telemundo, Riibe told police he was drinking with Konanki on the beach and they were kissing in waist-deep water when they were pulled out to sea by a strong tide. Riibe said he was a former lifeguard and swam her into shore. He told investigators he vomited upon reaching the beach and that Konanki said she was going to fetch her things. When he looked up, she was gone. He said he was later surprised to hear of her disappearance. Riibe's parents have accused Dominican officials of detaining him 'under irregular conditions' without translators or legal counsel, saying he has been confined to a hotel room with police surveillance for more than a week. They said Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud University, has been repeatedly taken to the police station and interrogated, adding that he has 'fully cooperated' with police. The statement on Friday by Albert and Tine Riibe provided no details about Konanki's disappearance or their son's connection to her. His parents said the family has retained a lawyer to ensure his rights are protected. Dominican public prosecutors have not responded to the statement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also investigating Konanki's disappearance. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Parents of missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki ask Dominican Republic police to declare her dead
The family of missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki has asked police in the Dominican Republic to declare her dead, a police spokesman said Monday. Dominican Republic National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira said Konanki's family has sent the agency a letter requesting a declaration of death. Konanki, 20, was on spring break with friends in the Caribbean island nation when she disappeared early March 6. Despite an extensive search, her body has not been found. The Konanki family did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night. Konanki is a junior in biology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is from Loudoun County, Virginia, where her family lives. Konanki was last seen early March 6 after she went to the beach with friends. After her friends left the beach, she stayed behind with people she met on the trip. She vanished after 4:15 a.m. that day. The last person thought to have seen Konanki has been identified as Joshua Riibe, 22, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota who is from Rock Rapids, Iowa. Dominican authorities confiscated Riibe's passport Friday as part of an investigation, his attorneys told NBC News. NBC News spotted Riibe with investigators and his attorney on a beach in Punta Cana early Sunday. He was seen pointing toward the sea while a group of security officials kept people away from the area. Speaking exclusively to NBC News briefly at the resort where Konanki had been staying before she disappeared, and before he was spotted by NBC News on the beach, Riibe said, 'I'm just trying to help them out,' adding: 'The ocean is a dangerous place.' Riibe 'has been confined to the hotel since the investigation began. He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes. So no, he is not free to leave,' the law firm representing him said in an email Saturday. Pesqueira, the national police spokesperson, said no signs of violence were found at the beach. A hotel spokesperson said red flags — which indicate 'that the sea had a strong current and very high waves' — were flying when Konanki disappeared. In an interview last week with Dominican investigators, Riibe said he was on the beach with Konanki shortly before she disappeared. He said they were 'in waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little,' according to a transcript of the interview obtained by NBC News. A wave crashed, taking them both 'out to sea,' it quotes him saying. 'I kept trying to get her to breathe, but that didn't allow me to breathe all the time, and I swallowed a lot of water,' he said. Riibe said he got Konanki back to shore before she disappeared. 'The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn't hear her answer,' he said. 'I looked around and didn't see anyone. I thought she'd grabbed her things and left.' Authorities in the Dominican Republic have said no one is considered a suspect in Konanki's disappearance. U.S. authorities have said it is a missing persons case and not a criminal matter. This article was originally published on
