26 inmates escape from Lebanon prison

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Twenty-six prisoners fled from a prison in western Lebanon on Monday, according to local media.

The prison break took place in Bekaa Valley, with most of the escapees convicted of drug and weapons trafficking charges, the National News Agency reported.

Lebanese authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the prison break.

Prisons are overcrowded in Lebanon amid a months-long economic crisis gripping the Arab country.

The crisis has further degraded Lebanon's already dismal jails, with poor conditions and lack of medical care regularly sparking prion riots and unrest.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar