Firebomb Kills At Least 16 People At Cairo Restaurant

Officials say the attack happened after a dispute among the workers at the restaurant, and police were still hunting the suspects Friday afternoon.

A police officer stands in front a restaurant/nightclub that was attacked in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Dec. 4.

Amr Nabil / AP

A firebomb killed at least 16 people and wounded several others Friday morning at a Cairo restaurant and nightclub.

The bomb was thrown into a basement eatery in the Agouza district after what may have been a dispute among the business' employees, according to a statement from Egypt's Interior Ministry. The Associated Press reported that police were looking for two young men who are believed to have thrown the firebomb.

In addition to killing 16, the attack injured three people, according to the Interior Ministry. Video from the scene showed flames and smoke pouring from the building.

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According to the AP, the restaurant is not officially a nightclub but becomes a bar at night in order to get around taboos about drinking. Reuters reported that the restaurant's location in a basement made escape difficult, and victims burned to death and died from smoke inhalation.

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