Las Vegas restaurant damaged by explosive device, police say

A restaurant in a popular area near the famed Las Vegas Strip was damaged after an explosive device exploded on Thursday, police said.

Authorities said an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated at Piero’s Italian Cuisine, which is across the street from the city’s convention centre. The restaurant was empty at the time of the blast early on Thursday morning.

A cleaning crew discovered the damage when they arrived about eight hours later and notified authorities, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.

Police say they are looking for two male suspects, one of whom arrived at the restaurant on a scooter. They have not yet been publicly identified or located.

The suspects were dressed in black and walked up to the front door of the restaurant and placed the device, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference on Thursday.

The IED ignited, and after a couple minutes of burning, it detonated, causing some damage to the unoccupied building.

The sheriff emphasised that there is no known or ongoing threat to public safety, and the community remains safe.

The restaurant sits about a block from Las Vegas Boulevard, which is home to the city’s famed strip of casinos and hotels.

The incident is being investigated by the department’s hazards team, along with the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and a counterterrorism unit at the police department.