Five railway employees of Topadihi station are suspected to have been abducted by Maoist rebels who struck in separate groups at different places in Sundargarh district in north-west Orissa, bordering Jharkhand, to enforce a bandh called to protest the arrest of 30 people, branded as ultras.

Rourkela SP Diptesh Patnaik said a search has been launched to trace the five railway employees — Assistant Station Manager Upendra Kumar, Station Superintendent N N Majhi, Token porter R N Mahato and Cabinmen Md. Taj and S C Majhi.

“The Maoists overpowered the security guards and then blew up the police outpost at Kalta. They also blew up the generator of a BSNL mobile tower and a community centre, which was once being used by CRPF jawans. The rebels destroyed the office of Centre for Indian Trade Unions at Toda and a Durga puja pandal. The rampage continued for over four hours,” said Inspector General of Police (western range) Pranabindu Acharya.

A group of Maoists attacked the Kalta iron ore mines and looted 7 guns, over 200 rounds of bullets, mobile phone and cash from the security guards posted there. The guerrillas also blew up railway tracks between Bimlagarh and Patsahi on the Chakradharpur division of Southeastern Railway.

with PTI