BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Police have rescued 17,590 missing women and children and reunited them with their families during a special drive conducted from January to June this year, an official statement said on Sunday.

Of the rescued persons, 12,177 are women and 5,413 children.

The highest number of women rescued was in Puri district (3,713), followed by Jajpur (820) and Ganjam (581), it said.

Puri also reported the highest number of children rescued (1,161), followed by Bhubaneswar urban police district (399) and Mayurbhanj district (278).

A total of 10,605 women and 4,873 children, including 4,334 girls, 538 boys and a transgender individual, were reported missing from different police station areas in the first six months of the year.

"Some women and children whose missing reports were lodged earlier were also rescued during the period. Besides, some women and children whose disappearances were not reported were also rescued during the drive," a police officer said.

The special drive will intensify in the coming days as the Odisha Police is giving utmost priority to the safety of women and children, he said.