Tesla Cybertruck explodes at the entrance to the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas

CNN
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The Telsa Cybertruck explosion and fire at the entrance to the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

At a press conference, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said a vehicle fire was reported at the hotel just after 1 p.m. 8.40. Crews arrived to find a 2024 Cybertruck engulfed in flames, he said.

“There is a deceased person inside the Cybertruck and I don’t know if it’s a male or a female at this time,” McMahill said.

Seven other victims sustained what McMahill described as “minor” injuries as a result of the blast.

Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI in Las Vegas, also confirmed that his team is involved in the investigation.

In a post on X, Elon Musk wrote that Tesla is also launching its own investigation.

“The entire Tesla senior team is currently investigating this matter,” Musk wrote. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, also wrote on X that “the safety and well-being of our guests and staff remains our top priority.”

“We express our deepest gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their quick response and professionalism,” Trump wrote.

Galit Ventura Rozen, who was a guest on the 62nd floor of nearby Resorts World Las Vegas at the time of the explosion, said she looked out her window to see a plume of smoke rising from the area near the Trump hotel and immediately began recording .

“We saw a huge cloud of smoke … we didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “Then I saw a line of probably at least three ambulances and a bunch of police cars.”

Rozen said she later filmed a crowd of what appeared to be Trump hotel guests standing in a nearby parking lot.

McMahill told reporters that the investigation into the incident is ongoing and his team is also “aware” of the New Year’s Eve truck attack in New Orleans that killed at least 10 people and injured dozens of others.

As a result, the sheriff said they are searching for “secondary units” to ensure the safety of the community.

“There doesn’t appear to be any further threat to our community here now,” McMahill said.

“But of course, a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel — there are a lot of questions that we have to answer as we move forward.”

CNN’s Jack Hannah contributed to this report.