At least sixteen people were killed and another three injured in a Molotov cocktail attack targeting a nightclub in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Friday.

According to Cairo Post newspaper, three masked men threw the firebomb in the nightclub located in the Agouza area in the city centre and then fled the scene.

It is unclear whether the attack was carried out by militants, who have been attacking Egyptian security forces since the deposition of former President Mohamed Morsi by the army in 2013.

According to Egyptian officials, one of the attackers was an employee, who had been fired from the nightclub, Al Jazeera informs.

Other reports suggest that the attack resulted from a dispute between employees of the nightclub and a group of youths after the latter had been denied entry.

The victims of the attack died from burns or smoke inhalation.

Additional factor for the death toll is the location of the nightclub in a basement, which makes the escape route more difficult.