Firebomb kills 16 in Cairo nightclub

At least 16 people were killed in a firebomb attack on a nightclub near Cairo, authorities in Egypt said Friday.

"Disagreements between staff at the nightclub and others caused [the latter] to throw Molotov cocktail at the door," the interior ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page.

The ministry said 11 men and five women died in the attack. Three people were injured.

Initial police investigations revealed that the perpetrators were potential customers who were denied entry after an argument with the night club's staff escalated to a fight.

A security source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Al-Ahram news agency that one of the assailants has been identified, but all remain at large and the number of assailants is still unknown.

A witness told the private broadcaster ONTV that the attackers fled on a motorbike.

However, a security official told Reuters news agency that the perpetrator was an employee who had been fired from the nightclub, citing an initial death toll of 18. 

Victims of the blast were burned to death or died from smoke inhalation in the establishment.

The nightclub, which also features a restaurant, was located in a basement, offering no escape route, officials said.

Al Jazeera and wire services