Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Police Department said officials were “well aware of what happened in New Orleans”, including that an improvised explosive device was found at the crime scene in Louisiana.

“As you can imagine, with an explosion here on an iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe,” he said during a news conference.

Mr McMahill said there was no longer a threat to the Las Vegas community.

Fire department officials said emergency responders quickly worked to extinguish the vehicle fire.

They added that the public should stay away from the area and that the hotel was evacuated, with most of the guests moving to a different location.