One person was killed when a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames at the entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, according to reports.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) was notified of the incident by LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill at approximately 8:40 a.m. local time. said reporters. Smoke rose from the car, followed by a “huge explosion,” police said.
LVMPD, Clark County Fire Department and Las Vegas Fire Rescue were on the scene within four minutes, Deputy Chief Thomas Touchstone said. said reporters.
Investigators believe the incident may have been a criminal or terrorist act, ABC News reported. LVMPD said Authorities have begun investigating the incident and said the fire has been extinguished.
The identity of the deceased is currently unknown, but it is said that he was in the Cybertruck at the time of the explosion. Seven other people were hospitalized with minor injuries, McMahill added.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla, said Tesla’s senior team investigated this unusual incident.
“We have confirmed that this explosion was caused by a very large firework or bomb that was in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and was not related to the vehicle itself.” said. “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
movie circulating Videos on social media showed the Cybertruck exploding while parked in front of the hotel, sending debris flying in all directions. a video Images that appear to have been taken from inside the hotel lobby show additional explosions from inside the burning Cybertruck. There are reports online that the truck may have been loaded with fireworks, but these have not been confirmed.
Video: Tesla Cybertruck explodes at entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/suXCEfs7x9
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) January 1, 2025
A Cybertruck explodes in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Those are our bags by the door and where we were when the incident happened. pic.twitter.com/KaVZXfGLNK
— Ayakuru (@kaaaassuu) January 1, 2025
Law enforcement evacuated guests from the hotel and moved them to nearby Resorts World Las Vegas, McMahill said.
The explosion occurred hours after a driver plowed his Ford pickup truck into a crowd of revelers ahead of a college football game in New Orleans, Louisiana. Federal Bureau of Investigation identified The driver was Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas. The FBI said agents found an ISIS flag, weapons and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the vehicle. (Related: FBI assistant director warns that terrorists are ‘commonly lurking’ in the US, says alert level should be ‘higher’ than current level)
“We’re very familiar with what happened in New Orleans, what happened there, the number of victims, the additional IEDs,” McMahill told reporters.
“So, in response to the explosion on our iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking every precaution necessary to keep our community safe,” he added.
trump hotel management team I was grateful Responders and police officers said they were “thankful for the quick response” and that “the safety and health of our guests and staff remains our top priority.”
Officials said updates on the incident would be released in due course.
