The explosion of a Tesla cyber truck outside one of Donald Trump’s US hotels is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
The driver, who was inside the rental vehicle when it caught fire, died in the incident on New Year’s Day and seven other people suffered minor injuries.
Work is still continuing to remove the body of the driver from the vehicle.
The explosion occurred when the truck was outside the president-elect’s lodge in vegaspolice and firefighters said.
Tesla is owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been a close ally of Trump – donating millions to his successful 2024 US election campaign. He was also tasked with running Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The explosion in Las Vegas is being considered a possible terrorist attack, three senior law enforcement officials told NBC Information, Sky Information’s US partner.
So far, authorities have not provided a cause for the explosion.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas police said the force knows who rented the truck, but will not release their name at this time.
At a press conference in Las Vegas, McMahill said the truck was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. UK time).
“It immediately went up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before immediately stopping at Trump Towers,” he added.
Mahill later said that agents are “absolutely investigating” whether the explosion was related to the attack that It left at least 15 dead in New Orleans on the same day.
And he added: “We haven’t ruled anything out yet.”
The three law enforcement officials who spoke to NBC had previously said they did not believe the two incidents were related.
Meanwhile, McMahill said there is “no indication” that the Las Vegas explosion was linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group. It comes after the FBI found an ISIS flag in the back of the truck used in the New Orleans attack.
The Las Vegas sheriff also said police did not find any devices that could have been used to detonate the explosives in the vehicle outside the Trump lodge.
McMahill continued: “I have to specifically thank Elon Musk, he gave us a lot of additional information about how the vehicle was locked after it exploded… as well as being able to capture all the video of the Tesla. Charging stations throughout the country.
“He sent it to us directly, so I appreciate his help.”
It was previously learned that the Tesla used in Las Vegas and the Ford used in New Orleans were rented from the same company.
McMahill said this is something his officers will “continue to investigate.”
The sheriff also shared an image of the truck after the explosion that showed gas cans, camping fuel cans and large fireworks mortars in the back.
He continued: “It looks like the exterior of that truck is completely intact while it’s there and it really limited the damage that occurred inside the valet, because (it caused) most of the explosion to go through the truck and out. “
Las Vegas police released this image of the van after the explosion.
Mahill also noted that the glass doors at the front of the lodge, which were a few meters from the explosion, were not broken.
Meanwhile, Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels said all seven people who suffered minor injuries were stable and two of them were taken to the hospital and later released.
It came before FBI Special Agent Jeremy Schwartz said the agency is trying to determine whether the explosion was an act of terrorism or not.
And he added: “We believe this is an isolated incident, we do not believe there are many people supporting or helping this.”
Musk’s response to the explosion
Earlier, Mr. Musk wrote on
“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
He had previously written: “Tesla’s entire senior team is investigating this matter at this time. We will post more information as soon as we know something. “We have never seen anything like this.”
A Clark County spokeswoman said the fire in the valet area of the Trump Worldwide Lodge in Las Vegas was reported at 8:40 a.m. local time (4:40 p.m. UK time).
President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla boss Elon Musk. File photo: AP
Eric Trump, Trump’s son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire on social media.
He acknowledged that “an electric vehicle fire occurred at the entrance to Trump Las Vegas.”
And he praised the firefighters and the local police “for their speed and professionalism.”
Mary Lescano Paguada, 43, who was vacationing in Las Vegas from San Antonio, Texas, to celebrate the new year at the lodge, told Sky partner NBC Information that she heard an explosion early in the morning. .
At first, he didn’t worry until he started seeing officers coming to the scene.
Paguada said that once she and her husband arrived at the reception area, they heard screams and lodge staff told them to get out and “don’t breathe the smoke, don’t stay.”
She said they were not allowed to return to their rooms after they went downstairs in an attempt to get them to evacuate the area.
The 64-story lodge is just behind the famous Las Vegas Strip and across from the Trend Present Las Vegas shopping center.
