Bhubaneswar, Sep 11 - Five railway employees, abducted by Maoist rebels Thursday in Orissa's Sundergarh district are still missing, their family members said Friday.

Maoists had abducted Topadiha's railway station master N.N. Majhi, assistant station master Upendra Kumar, R.N. Mahato, M.P. Taj and S.C. Majhi, after triggering several blasts at different places in the district, blowing up government offices and the office of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

'Two days have passed since they have been abducted. They have been abducted by Maoists, which the police denied initially. But they are still to be rescued,' said Bisakha Majhi, wife of the station master N.N. Majhi.

However, after initially denying the Maoists' involvement, police started search operations and an intense effort is on to trace the abducted rail officials.

'They are still missing. We are trying to find them. Orissa Police along with Jharkhand Police have started joint search operation along the Orissa-Jharkhand border,' said Diptesh Pattnaik, the superintendent of police of Rourkela.