A Molotov cocktail hurled at a Cairo nightclub has killed 18 people, Egyptian security officials said.

One of the officials said the attacker was an employee who had been fired from the nightclub in the Agouza area in the centre of the Egyptian capital, Reuters news agency reported.

However, a statement by the interior ministry cited a death toll of 16, adding that the attack followed a dispute between employees of the nightclub and a group of youths.

“Preliminary information indicates that there were differences between the staff of the nightclub and others, who threw petrol bombs at the door in revenge,” the statement said.

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.

Three people were injured. No arrests were reported.

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

Armed groups have claimed a number of bombing and shooting attacks in Egypt, mostly against members of the security forces since the army toppled President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests. Al JAZEERA