STORY: 1 dead, 7 injured after Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 1, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 2, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:07
LOCATION: LAS VEGAS, U.S.
CATEGORY: OTHERS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of local police outside the hotel after explosion

STORYLINE:

One person was killed and seven others were injured on Wednesday after a Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, local media reported, citing the police.

One person is dead after a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames outside the Trump International Hotel near the north end of the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday morning, reported local KSNV television station.

A vehicle fire was first reported around 8:40 a.m. local time in the valet area of the hotel. The Cybertruck pulled up to the front to the entrance when smoke started showing and there was an explosion, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill was quoted as saying, adding that one person inside the vehicle was killed.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a post on X that "We are investigating a vehicle fire at the entrance to Trump Towers. The fire is out. Please avoid the area."

Officials confirmed to media that seven people suffered minor injuries as a result of the explosion, with two of them taken to a hospital for treatment.

Most people staying at Trump International have been moved to a nearby hotel, Resorts World Las Vega, said the report of KSNV television station, citing McMahill.

Videos posted on social media showed a Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames outside the hotel's lobby entrance.

Authorities said they are investigating the explosion.

An official who briefed on the probe told ABC News that the Tesla Cybertruck had a load of fireworks-style mortars onboard.

Investigators are urgently working to determine a motive and whether the driver intended to set off an explosion and why, said the report, noting that "Until a motive is determined and other possibilities are ruled out, police are treating the explosion like a possible criminal act and a possible act of terror."

Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, said in a post on X that "The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now."
   
The staunch ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump noted that "We've never seen anything like this." He wrote later that "We have now confirmed that 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."
   
"Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas," Eric Trump, the president-elect's son and a leader of the Trump Organization, said in a post on X. "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," he added.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Las Vegas, U.S.
(XHTV)