MEXICO CITY - At least 32 inmates escaped from three jails in the Mexican state of Veracruz early Monday, said local authorities.

Interior Minister Gerardo Buganza of the state government told reporters that 14 prisoners were re-captured later in the day but the exact number of the jailbreakers was still under investigation.

Preliminary reports showed that the three jailbreaks all occurred in the wee hours when the prisoners overpowered the guards and forced them to open the gates, said Buganza.

Among the runaways, 15 were serving federal law sentences and the other 17 were serving sentences handed down by the state judicial authorities, according to the official.

All the staff members of the three jails will be questioned for any possible involvement, and vigilance has been reinforced in all the 17 jails across Veracruz, he added.