LOS ANGELES: Nine people died in Las Vegas when a car sped through a red light and smashed into five other vehicles, police said on Saturday.

One other person was in critical condition in hospital after the pile-up in the casino city in the western US state of Nevada.

`We have not seen a masscasualty traffic collision like this before,` said North Las Vegas Police Department public in formation officer Alexander Cuevas.

At about 3 pm, a Dodge Challenger ran a red light at anintersection,movingat `ahigh rate of speed,` Cuevas told a press conference.

It then `struck multiple vehicles, causing a chaotic event,` he added, saying the smash involved six vehicles and 15 people.

Nine people died, ranging in age from `young juveniles to middle-aged adults,` while one person was still in a critical condition in hospital. Both people inside the Challenger were among those killed.

Speaking at the same press conference, North Las Vegas councilwoman Pamela Goynes Brown decried what she called a `careless, senseless act.`-AFP