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.
Earlier reports said 12 people were killed and another five injured.
A lot of visitors died of smoke inhalation or were burnt to death, because the nigh club was located in a basement with no means to escape.
The police is presently conducting a search operation, however, according to preliminary reports, the casualties were among Egypt citizens only.