LAS VEGAS: One person was killed and at least 14 were injured on Sunday night in what Las Vegas police called a "major accident" near the hotel and casino near Las Vegas Strip where the Miss Universe pageant was being held, officials said.

University Medical Centre spokeswoman Danita Cohen said the 14 survivors of the incident on the famed Las Vegas Strip included men, women and one child. Two adults were in critical condition and the others were in serious condition, Cohen said.

Cohen said many of the injured spoke French and requested translators, indicating they could have been tourists visiting the area, which is lined with casinos and luxury resorts.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper said a car ran into a throng of pedestrians outside the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, injuring as many as 30 people.

That tally could not be independently confirmed by Reuters. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department provided only limited information on its Twitter account and could not be reached immediately for further details.

The station says a woman, the alleged driver in the crash, is undergoing a field sobriety test. Multiple police and fire trucks are at the scene.

KSNV says the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has closed Las Vegas Boulevard between Harmon and Flamingo Road.

Police warned people to avoid the area and said the strip had been closed to traffic in the vicinity.