A person was killed and several injured when a Tesla truck exploded after catching fire outside Donald Trump’s tower in Las Vegas, as Elon Musk revealed the cause was either fireworks – or a bomb.
Videos taken by locals nearby the 64 floor complex reported police and fire rushing to the scene, which boasts it has the most “exceptional views” of the strip. Video from the scene showed a Tesla Cybertruck aflame outside the doors of the hotel car fire outside the luxury hotel, and Las Vegas Police confirmed a person was killed inside the vehicle, which had exploded.
Fire crews are working to remove the body from the car. At least seven other people were injured in the accident, which police are unable to explain. Elon Musk however took to X and ruled out it being a vehicle failure.
Musk said: “We have now confirmed 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.”
Jeremy Schwartz, acting FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Las Vegas office, added at an earlier news conference: “I know you have a lot of questions. We don’t have a lot of answers.”
Witnesses said in recorded footage: “I just heard a boom. There’s a lot of smoke. It was like a boom, boom, boom. It almost sounded like a rolling garbage dumpster, then I saw that pop up.”
Eric Trump, the President-elect’s son, wrote on X: “Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas. 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.”
The incident, captured on social media, has prompted investigations by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill linked the explosion to the carnage in New Orleans. “With the event that occurred [in New Orleans], and the victims there, and the additional IEDs, so as you can imagine, with an explosion here on our iconic Las Vegas Boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep the community safe,” he said.
Another wrote on X: “My friend who did the Grucci fireworks show in Las Vegas just now texted me that there was a huge explosion at Trump Tower in Vegas.” Another added: “Some sort of explosion at Trump tower in Las Vegas. No idea what happened yet.”
Elon Musk, a known ally of Donald Trump, addressed the incident on X, the social media platform he owns. “The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now,” he wrote. “We’ve never seen anything like this.”
The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is a huge 64-story building, complete with condos, on Fashion Show Drive in Paradise, Nevada. It was named after its part-owner Donald Trump, and is located just down the street from the Wynn hotel.
The exterior glass is infused with gold. The property opened on March 31, 2008, with 1,282 rooms, as well as two restaurants. It is Las Vegas’s tallest residential building at 622ft (190m).
