One Fatality and Seven Injuries as Tesla Cybertruck Erupts in Flames Near Trump Hotel in Las Vegas

January 1, 2025 TruthUSA

Photos of the vehicle fire rapidly spread across social media, depicting significant flames erupting from the electric vehicle by the hotel entrance.

A tragic explosion occurred outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, resulting in the death of one individual and injuries to seven others after a Tesla Cybertruck caught fire.

Authorities reported that the vehicle was found fully ablaze in the hotel’s valet area.

According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill, one person inside the Tesla lost their life, while seven others nearby sustained minor injuries. Two of those injured were taken to a local hospital, as shared during a news conference.

Guests were promptly evacuated and moved to the Resorts World Hotel, Sheriff McMahill stated.

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, later indicated that explosives were found within the rented vehicle.

“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb situated in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Musk mentioned in a post on the X platform. “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”

Authorities verified in a Wednesday evening press conference that gas canisters and sizable fireworks mortars were discovered in the vehicle.

The sheriff remarked that the electric vehicle’s walls remained completely intact during the blast, limiting damage to the surrounding area due to “the fact that this was a Cybertruck.”

McMahill added that the front glass doors of the Trump hotel “were not even broken.”

He elaborated that the rented vehicle, which came from Colorado, arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. and traveled up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before ultimately parking at the Trump Hotel, where it sat for 15 to 20 seconds prior to the explosion.

Authorities are aware of the individual who rented the Cybertruck but chose not to disclose any further details.

This fiery event unfolded amidst heightened security following a deadly terrorist attack that occurred earlier that morning in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans. Federal investigators have identified Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, as the perpetrator who deliberately drove a rented pickup truck, adorned with a black ISIS flag and explosives, into a crowd at around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street, killing 15 people.

Musk suggested the Las Vegas incident might be “linked in some way” to the New Orleans attack, noting that both were vehicles rented from Turo. However, authorities have not established any connection between the two events.

“It appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way,” Musk wrote on X.

The sheriff also mentioned that so far, there is no evidence linking the explosion to ISIS.

During a nationwide address on Wednesday evening discussing the New Orleans attack, President Joe Biden stated that law enforcement and the intelligence community are also investigating the Las Vegas incident, exploring the “possibility” of a connection, while reiterating that no evidence has been found linking the two.

Eric Trump, executive vice president of The Trump Organization and the second son of President-elect Donald Trump, confirmed the vehicle fire that occurred on New Year’s Day, stating that the incident took place in the valet area outside the hotel.

“Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas,” Eric Trump posted on X. “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism.”

Images capturing the vehicle fire swiftly made their way across social media, revealing what seemed to be an explosion as the vehicle ignited near the hotel entrance. Some bystanders reported hearing a loud bang and seeing large clouds of smoke nearby.

One hotel guest shared a video taken from inside the hotel lobby.

“Cybertruck blew up in front of Trump hotel in Las Vegas,” the user noted in a post on X. “Those are our luggage by the door and that’s where we were when it happened.”

Local media outlet KSNV reported that the explosion was documented at 8:40 a.m. local time.

Police block the area after a vehicle caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 1, 2025. (Ty O'Neil/AP Photo) — Police cordoned off the area following a vehicle fire and explosion outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 1, 2025.Ty O’Neil/AP Photo

The Trump Hotel is situated at 2000 Fashion Drive, located on the northern end of the renowned Las Vegas Strip. Many visitors had come to the city to celebrate the New Year.

Local media outlet KTNV noted that Fashion Show Drive is blocked off in both directions from Sammy Davis Jr. Drive to Las Vegas Boulevard during the ongoing investigation.

Authorities confirmed that there is no additional threat to the public.

“I just want to reassure the community that everything is safe now,” the sheriff remarked.

The incident unfolded amid a heightened state of alert due to the earlier deadly terrorist attack in the popular tourist destination of New Orleans.

Police are advising the public to steer clear of the area surrounding the hotel as they continue their investigation into the vehicle fire that claimed a life.

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