Companies linked to troubled shadow banking company Zhongzhi said they had lost contact with two executives, days after Chinese authorities said they were opening an investigation into the sprawling conglomerate.Ma Hongying, chair of Shenzhen-listed early education provider Dalian My Gym Education Technology, and Ma Changshui, chair of Xinjiang Tianshan Animal Husbandry Bio-Engineering, could not be reached, the companies said in separate exchange filings late on Wednesday.

An investment arm of Zhongzhi owns a 30 per cent stake in My Gym, while other Zhongzhi units own a combined 24.3 per cent stake in Tianshan.

In their filings the companies said they “will pay close attention to the follow-up progress of the matter, and provide information disclosure in a timely manner”. They added the two executives did not hold stakes in their respective companies.