A tragic incident unfolded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded, resulting in one fatality and seven injuries. Videos capturing the devastating explosion quickly went viral, with many users sharing footage from various angles.
One video, allegedly from “security footage,” shows the Tesla Cybertruck spontaneously erupting into flames while parked near the hotel’s entrance. Another user posted the same video with the caption: “Tesla Cybertruck blows up in front of Trump Tower in Las Vegas…”
Additional videos surfaced, showing the catastrophic scene from inside the hotel, with flames pouring from the vehicle outside.
The fire, which broke out in the hotel’s valet area at approximately 8:40 a.m., was confirmed by a county spokesperson. Authorities revealed that the Tesla was rented via the Turo app and was reportedly carrying a load of fireworks at the time of the explosion.
The FBI has launched an investigation to determine if the explosion was an act of terrorism. In response to the incident, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated, “The entire Tesla senior team is investigating this matter. We’ll provide more information as soon as we have it. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Musk further clarified that the explosion was not a result of the Cybertruck’s design or mechanical failure. “We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by a large quantity of fireworks and/or a bomb placed in the truck bed and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Musk said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Telemetry data indicated everything was normal at the time of the explosion.”
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill, a deceased individual was found inside the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, and seven others sustained minor injuries from the blast. It was also noted that both the Cybertruck involved in this explosion and a vehicle used in a recent New Orleans attack had been rented through Turo.
This incident occurred just hours after a similar tragedy in New Orleans, where a man drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s Day revelers, killing 15 people.
