A firebomb attack on a nightclub in Cairo, Egypt, killed at least 16 people and wounded several others on Friday. 

A Molotov explosive was used in the attack that led to a massive fire at the club, Egyptian officials told Reuters. 

Local media reported that the attacker was an employee who had been fired from the Cairo restaurant.

According to The Cairo Post, three masked men threw the firebomb and then fled the scene.

Since the nightclub was located in a basement, the victims were unable to escape and either died from burns or smoke inhalation, officials told Reuters. 

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, cited an unnamed official with its Security Information Center who said a preliminary investigation showed the attack happened after a dispute between the nightclub staff and some other people, who then threw Molotov cocktails at the entrance.

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