Car explodes outside Trump hotel, 1 dead

Las Vegas Police Chief Kevin McMahill said authorities received reports of a vehicle fire at the Trump International Hotel around 8:40 a.m. on January 1. When they arrived, they found a Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames.

"One person died inside the Cybertruck, it is unclear whether it was a male or female," Mr. McMahill said, adding that the incident also left seven people with minor injuries.

Video on social media shows the Cybertruck suddenly exploding while parked outside the hotel gates, followed by a series of small explosions that resembled fireworks.

Police said they were investigating the cause and were looking into the possibility of terrorism. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the cause was “a large number of fireworks and/or a bomb” on board, not the fault of the Tesla, and revealed that it was a rental car.

He said Tesla's entire senior leadership team was investigating the explosion. "We have never seen anything like this," the billionaire wrote on social media.

Introduced by Tesla in November 2019, Cybertruck is a pickup truck with an angular and "aggressive" design, capable of accelerating like a supercar and a range of more than 800 km after each full charge.

CNNCiting an unnamed official, the official said the car had driven past the Trump hotel about an hour before the incident. It then turned around, stopped in front of the hotel for a few seconds, and exploded. The explosives in the car were believed to be fireworks, gasoline cans and camping fuel, connected to a driver-controlled detonation system.

Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization, stressed that the safety and health of customers and employees is a "top priority", and thanked officials for their "quick and professional response".

The White House said that after being informed of the explosion, US President Joe Biden directed that any necessary federal assistance be provided to local authorities. Mr. Biden had also been briefed on the car crash in New Orleans, Louisiana, that killed at least 15 people.

Chief McMahill also addressed the New Orleans crash, but did not say whether the two incidents were related. He said police were taking “every precaution to keep the community safe.”

“There appears to be no further threat to the community at this time. But the incident involving a Cybertruck and the Trump hotel obviously leaves a lot of questions to be answered,” McMahill said, adding that the hotel had been evacuated.