Police: 182 inmates bolt Leyte provincial jail; 148 recaptured

At least 182 inmates escaped before dawn Thursday from the jail of a province still recovering from super Typhoon Yolanda, police said.

Philippine National Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor said a hunt is still ongoing for 34 of the inmates after 148 were returned to their cells.

Mayor said the inmates fled the jail in Palo town in Leyte—one of the areas hit hardest by Yolanda—because they were hungry, radio dzBB's Tuesday Niu reported.

However, he said that as of Thursday afternoon, 148 had been returned to their cells.

A separate report on Visayas-based Bombo Radyo said an investigation is now ongoing into what led to the jailbreak. — BM, GMA News