A Tesla Cybertruck ignited outside the main entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas during the morning hours of January 1, resulting in the death of the vehicle’s driver and injuries to seven others.
First responders reported that two individuals were admitted to the hospital due to the suspected attack.
Officials characterized the materials found in the vehicle as a mix of fireworks, camping fuel, and gas canisters, as reported by CNN. Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire CEO of Tesla, the vehicle’s maker, asserted afterward that the car itself was not responsible for the explosion, noting on X: “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
Authorities in Las Vegas stated that they are treating the event as a criminal investigation and a “potential act of terrorism.”
The electric vehicle had been procured through the private rental service Turo, according to a law enforcement official who talked to the Associated Press—the same platform allegedly utilized by an individual who crashed into a gathering of New Year’s celebrants in a truck on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday, resulting in 15 fatalities and more than 30 injuries. Officials are also considering that incident as an act of terror and whether there is a connection between the two events.
Footage from the incident captures the Cybertruck fully engulfed in flames just in front of the hotel’s entrance, which survived the blast unscathed.
The individual who initially shared video footage of the explosion indicated that the vehicle erupted into flames soon after it was parked at the hotel’s valet area. Another user on social media, who posted video from inside the hotel, mentioned that the “windows shook violently” following the explosion.
Eric Trump, who serves as the executive vice president of Trump Organization overseeing the firm’s hotels and properties, expressed gratitude to firefighters and law enforcement for their swift action on X.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority,” he stated.
