1 dead after Tesla Cybertruck explodes, catches fire outside Trump's Las Vegas hotel

One person was killed and seven were injured Wednesday when a Tesla Cybertruck that appeared to be carrying explosives burst into flames outside president-elect Donald Trump's hotel in Las Vegas, authorities said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department officials told a news conference that a person died inside the futuristic truck and they were working to extricate the body. Seven people nearby received minor injuries and many were taken to the hospital.

The fire that broke out at the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported around 8:40 a.m., a regional spokesperson said in a statement.

According to a law enforcement official, the truck was rented through the Turo app and appeared to have a large amount of explosives. The official spoke and asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly.

A Turo spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Tesla is investigating, Musk said

Law enforcement officials have not ruled out terrorism as a possible motive, a person familiar with the matter said. The person who spoke asked that their name be withheld because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.

“I know you have a lot of questions,” Jeremy Schwartz, special agent in charge of the FBI's Las Vegas office, told reporters. “We don't have many answers.”

President Joe Biden was briefed on the blast, which occurred hours after a driver plowed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans' French Quarter early on New Year's Day, killing at least 10 people. The suspect was killed during a shootout with the police.

“Tesla's senior team is currently investigating this matter,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in a statement on X, the social media platform he runs. “We've never seen anything like this.”

Witness heard 3 explosions

In Las Vegas, witness Ana Bruce, who is visiting Brazil, said she heard three explosions.

“The first one where we saw a fire, the second one, I think, was a battery or something like that, and the third one was a big one that was smoking everywhere and that was the time when everyone was told to get out and not stay. ,” said Bruce.

His companion, Alcides Antunes, showed the video he captured of the flames hitting the sides of the silver car.

The 64-story hotel is just off the Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Las Vegas Show Mall.

Eric Trump, son of the president-elect and senior vice president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire at X, praising the fire department and local law enforcement for their “quick and efficient response.”