One person has died after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded and burst into flames Wednesday morning at the entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, according to reports.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) received a report of the incident at about 8:40 a.m. local time, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. Smoke rose from the vehicle, followed by a “large explosion,” he said.
The LVMPD, Clark County Fire Department, and Las Vegas Fire & Rescue were at the scene within four minutes, Deputy Chief Thomas Touchstone told reporters.
Investigators believe the incident could be either a criminal or a terrorist act, ABC News reported. The LVMPD said it had begun investigating the incident and that the fire had been put out.
The identity of the deceased person is currently unknown, but they were in the Cybertruck as it exploded. Seven other people were hospitalized with what were reported as minor injuries, McMahill added.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, said Tesla’s senior team investigated the unusual incident.
“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” he said. “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
Videos circulating on social media show the Cybertruck exploding while parked in front of the hotel, sending debris flying in all directions. A video that appears to have been taken from inside the hotel lobby shows additional explosions from within the burning Cybertruck. Reports have circulated online that the truck may have been filled with fireworks, though they remain unconfirmed.
WATCH: The moment a Tesla Cybertruck explodes at the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/suXCEfs7x9
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) January 1, 2025
Cybertruck blew up in front of Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Those are our luggage by the door and that’s where we were when it happened. pic.twitter.com/KaVZXfGLNK
— ayackle (@kaaaassuu) January 1, 2025
Law enforcement agents evacuated guests from the hotel, relocating them to the nearby Resorts World Las Vegas, McMahill said.
The explosion occurred hours after a driver plowed his Ford pickup truck into a festive crowd ahead of a college football game in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas. Investigators found an ISIS flag, weapons, and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED) in the vehicle, the FBI said. (RELATED: Fmr FBI Asst Director Warns Terrorists Are ‘Well Embedded’ In US, Says Alert Should Be ‘Higher’ Than Current Level)
“We’re very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans, the event that occurred there and the number of victims there and the additional IEDs,” McMahill told reporters.
“So, with an explosion here on our iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe,” he added.
The Trump Hotel management thanked the responders and officers “for their swift response” and said that the “safety & well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
Authorities said updates on the incident would follow.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
