Tesla Cybertruck blast outside Trump hotel kills one, injures seven

The Tesla Cybertruck was parked just outside the entrance to the hotel, which is co-owned by Donald Trump's company. Footage from the scene shows the car exploding and catching fire, followed by a series of subsequent explosions resembling fireworks.

The explosion occurred around 4:40 am GMT. When firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze, they discovered a body inside the vehicle, yet to be identified. Additionally, seven individuals near the car suffered minor injuries, with two being taken to a hospital in Las Vegas.

"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. All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion," Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated in a post on X.

In a subsequent post, Musk suggested that it "appears likely to be an act of terrorism." "Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb (a Ford F-150 vehicle - editor's note) in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way," Musk speculated.

A police spokesperson informed CNN that surveillance footage shows the vehicle's driver passing the entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas an hour prior to the explosion, before returning to the location. A few seconds after stopping outside the entrance, the car exploded, resulting in the driver’s death, the car catching fire, and a series of fireworks detonations. Seven people sustained minor injuries.

Inside the Tesla, there were fireworks and fuel canisters, which investigators believe were connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver. CNN reports that authorities investigating the incident are examining potential links to Wednesday's terrorist attack in New Orleans, though no connection has been confirmed.