Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Las Vegas hotel, killing driver

A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday, killing the driver and injuring seven others, and the FBI was investigating whether the blast was an act of terrorism, officials said.

Videos taken by witnesses inside and outside the hotel showed the vehicle exploding and flames pouring out of it.

The incident occurred hours after a man drove a truck into New Year's Day revellers in New Orleans, killing 15.

The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is part of the Trump Organisation, the company of US president-elect Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was a key backer of Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign and is an adviser to the incoming president.

“Obviously a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel, there's lots of questions we have to answer,” Las Vegas metropolitan police sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference.

FBI special agent in charge Jeremy Schwartz later told reporters it was not yet clear whether the blast was an act of terrorism.

“I know everybody's interested in that word and trying to see if we can say 'this is a terrorist attack'. That is our goal,” Schwartz said.

The FBI had identified the person driving the vehicle which had been rented in Colorado, but was not ready to publicly identify the driver.

Musk said the blast was unrelated to the truck itself.

“We have confirmed the explosion was caused by large firework and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Musk said in a post on X.

“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”

Telemetry involves the automatic collection of data from remote sources, transmitting it back to a central source so it can be analysed.

McMahill said the Cybertruck and the vehicle used in the New Orleans attack had been rented through car-sharing service Turo.

A Turo spokesperson said the company did not believe either renter of the vehicles involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.

“We are partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate the incidents,” the spokesperson said.

McMahill said the Cybertruck pulled up to the Trump building at 8.40am. He said police were mindful of the New Orleans attack earlier on Wednesday. The FBI said a potential explosive device was found in the vehicle used in the New Orleans attack.

Las Vegas firefighters responded four minutes after the vehicle fire was reported and extinguished it. Two injured people were transported to hospitals with minor injuries. The hotel was evacuated after the incident and most visitors were moved to another hotel.

Eric Trump, executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, posted about the incident on X.

“Earlier today [Wednesday] a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas,” Trump's son wrote, referring to the building's covered entrance area.