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One dead after Tesla Cybertruck catches fire outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas One dead after Tesla Cybertruck catches fire outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas
(about 1 hour later)
Authorities respond to explosion reported early morning that killed one person and injured seven CEO Elon Musk says ‘we’ve never seen anything like this’ as Tesla investigates explosion that also injured seven
One person died and seven more were injured on Wednesday when a Tesla truck caught fire and exploded outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel, authorities said.One person died and seven more were injured on Wednesday when a Tesla truck caught fire and exploded outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel, authorities said.
Las Vegas metropolitan police and Clark county fire department officials said at a news conference that a person died inside the vehicle and that they were working to get the body out. Las Vegas metropolitan police and Clark county fire department officials in Nevada said at a news conference that a person died inside the vehicle and that they were working to get the body out.
Another seven people nearby received minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.Another seven people nearby received minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
A county spokesperson said in a statement that the fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported at 8.40am. Elon Musk, the tech industry leader who owns Tesla, posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter before he bought it, saying that “the whole Tesla senior team” was investigating what happened.
No cause was given and details were sketchy. He said the team would “post more information as soon as we learn anything”, adding that “we’ve never seen anything like this.” His remarks included another post referring to a “detonation” when the car exploded.
A local ABC News affiliate reported, citing an official briefed on the investigation, that the Tesla Cybertruck, a futuristic-looking vehicle with bodywork echoing a stealth-fighter type aircraft, had “fireworks-style mortars onboard”, although this has not been confirmed.
Musk became a prominent supporter of a donor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign this year. He shook things up when he began appearing at the Republican’s election rallies in the fall and was treated like a superstar by Trump, then became a close adviser to the president-elect after Trump beat the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, in November.
Trump named Musk as joint head of a newly created entity called the department of government efficiency that will seek to cut costs from the federal government machinery once the new administration is sworn in on 20 January.
The controversial decision has brought questions about potential conflicts of interest and national security concerns regarding Musk’s US and global business interests and federal government business. There is very little detail about the planned structure or constitutional foundation of creating such a “department”.
A county spokesperson said in a statement that the fire in the valet parking area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported at 8.40am local time.
No cause was given and details were minimal.
“I know you have a lot of questions,” Jeremy Schwartz, acting FBI special agent in charge for the Las Vegas office, said at the news conference. “We don’t have a lot of answers.”“I know you have a lot of questions,” Jeremy Schwartz, acting FBI special agent in charge for the Las Vegas office, said at the news conference. “We don’t have a lot of answers.”
Eric Trump, a son of the president-elect and executive vice-president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire on the social media platform X. He praised the fire department and local law enforcement “for their swift response and professionalism”.Eric Trump, a son of the president-elect and executive vice-president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire on the social media platform X. He praised the fire department and local law enforcement “for their swift response and professionalism”.
The 64-story hotel is just off the famed Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.The 64-story hotel is just off the famed Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.
The Associated Press contributed reporting