A firebomb attack on a restaurant/nightclub in central Cairo has left 16 people dead andat least five more suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, Egyptian security officials say.

Two or three masked men were reportedly seen throwing Molotov cocktails at the basement El-Sayad nightclub in the Agouza area of the city centre. One witness told broadcaster ONTV that the attackers fled the scene on a motorbike.

A video form the scene shows thick black smoke billowing from the nightclub.

The motive for arson is yet to be confirmed, but a statement by the Egyptian interior ministry said the incident followed an altercation between employees of the nightclub and a group of youth.

It said:

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