The government of the southern state of Guerrero says investigators are also looking for the prison director, who disappeared following the escape.
Prison officials in Mexico often face charges following such incidents.
Yesterday an armed gang assaulted the state prison at La Union, near the border with Michoacan state.
The gang killed two guards and an inmate and wounded another guard and a prisoner.
This type of assault has been carried out before by drug cartels in northern Mexico but is relatively new to the south. Michoacan state is home to the Knights Templar drug cartel.