A Tesla Cybertruck exploded this Wednesday morning in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada (United States), killing one person and lightly injuring seven others, police said. The events occurred a few hours after the attack in New Orleans.
The explosion was reported at 8:40 a.m. in the parking area of the hotel, which is located not far from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Witnesses reported hearing several explosions. Ana Bruce, a Brazilian tourist at the scene, described the scene to Washington Post :
“The first explosion revealed flames, the second, perhaps linked to the battery, and the third, more powerful, filled the area with smoke, forcing everyone to evacuate”. Several amateur videos showing the Tesla on fire were posted on social networks. Footage from a CCTV camera showing the explosion was also published.
According to Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Touchstone, one victim was found dead inside the vehicle. The seven injured people, who were nearby, suffered minor injuries and some were taken to hospital.
Origin of the fire
The Tesla Cybertruck, an electric vehicle with a futuristic aesthetic, contained fireworks and gas tanks connected to a detonation system, according to CNN. The trail of a voluntary act seems to be emerging and a police press conference is planned for 4 p.m. (local time, 1 a.m. in Paris). “We still have a lot of questions”Jeremy Schwartz, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said earlier today. “Our teams are mobilized to understand exactly what happened and why”.
The explosion, which occurred at a time when the Tesla Cybertruck is generating international enthusiasm, caused Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, to react.
“The entire Tesla team is investigating this event. We have never seen an incident like this”he declared on the social network X, of which he is the owner. “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 not related to the vehicle itself”.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden was briefed on the explosion near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, the White House said on Wednesday.
An act linked to the attack on New Orleans?
The fire was quickly brought under control thanks to the rapid intervention of firefighters and police officers. Eric Trump, son of President-elect Donald Trump and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, praised their professionalism. “The safety and well-being of our customers and employees remain our top priority. We warmly thank the firefighters and police for their speed and efficiency”reacted the hotel spokesperson.
The explosion occurs in a context where security around public infrastructure is reinforced. This act in Las Vegas comes on top of a terrorist attack which left at least 15 dead and around thirty injured on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans. A 42-year-old man driving a pick-up drove into the crowd on rue Bourbon, before opening fire on police officers and being shot dead. According to local media KVVUinvestigators are studying the hypothesis of a link between the attack and this explosion in Las Vegas.
The investigation, carried out jointly by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, continues to determine the exact circumstances of the facts. This Wednesday evening, the American agency Associated Press (AP) indicates that the Tesla vehicle which exploded in front of the Trump International hotel in Las Vegas had been rented on the Turo application, just like the pick-up used in the killings in New Orleans.
