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| Police at the scene after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas. January 1, 2024 | Photo: AFP |
One person was killed and seven others were injured when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel in the United States on Wednesday, New Year's Day. The Las Vegas hotel is owned by US President-elect Donald Trump.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters that the electric vehicle was in front of the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel when it suddenly exploded.
Video footage from the time shows the stainless steel truck parked at the hotel's entrance. It burst into flames after a loud explosion. The large explosion was followed by several smaller explosions.
Sheriff McMahill said one person was found dead inside the Cybertruck after the explosion. He also said seven people suffered minor injuries.
After the explosion, Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted a post on social media about the incident. He wrote, "Either there were too many fireworks or a bomb inside the rented Cybertruck. That's why the explosion happened. The car has nothing to do with this explosion."
Musk had previously said that Tesla's entire team of senior experts had investigated the explosion, adding that they had never seen anything like it before.
Police are still investigating the cause of the explosion. Citing unnamed sources, several US media outlets, including NBC and CBS, said that police are also investigating whether the explosion was a terrorist attack.
Musk, the American billionaire, strongly supported Trump in the November presidential election. Trump reciprocated after winning the election. Musk is one of the two heads of the commission that Trump has formed to reduce government spending.
The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the explosion outside Trump's hotel and had instructed his team to provide all possible assistance.
At least 15 people were killed when a car plowed into a crowd in New Orleans, USA, on New Year's Day.
However, McMahill said that the incident had no connection to the Las Vegas incident. He also said that the hotel was evacuated after the explosion.