Jan. 2 (UPI) — A Tesla Cybertruck exploded and burned in front of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, killing one person, local officials said.
The person killed was inside the vehicle when it burst into flame, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill. Seven more were injured.
The explosion occurred near the entrance of the hotel in the valet area at about 8:40 a.m. local time. McMahill said there was smoke coming from the vehicle before a “large explosion.”
Photos of the luggage compartment showed the trunk space was filled with spent incendiary devices, including a large cache of charred fireworks.
Clark County, Nev., deputy fire chief Thomas Touchstone said two people were transported to University Medical Center for injuries. Others sustained minor injuries.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and large donor to President-elect Donald Trump‘s election campaign, said in a post on X that Tesla’s senior team is investigating the incident.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” Musk said.
McMahill acknowledged the Las Vegas incident happened on the same day of a suspected terrorist attack in New Orleans. He did not indicate what the suspected cause of this explosion but said law enforcement is “taking all of the precautions that we need to keep our community safe.”
The sheriff added that there is no an apparent threat to public safety.
“Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel, there’s lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward,” he said.
The 64-story hotel was evacuated and people are encouraged to stay away from the area.
Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s son and a leader of the Trump Organization, said in a statement on X that “the safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”
