One dead after Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas

One person was dead and at least seven people were injured after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded and caught fire outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, according to authorities.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a report of an explosion around 8:40 a.m. at the Trump hotel. They were told that a 2024 Cybertruck “pulled up to the last entrance doors of the hotel,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference.

“We saw that smoke started showing from the vehicle, and then a large explosion from the truck occurs,” he added.

The person killed was inside the vehicle, he said, adding that at least seven others were reported to have sustained minor injuries. It was not immediately clear what was the cause of the explosion, but authorities mentioned the attack in New Orleans during the news conference.

“We’re very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans with the event that occurred there,” McMahill said, referring to a man who drove a truck through a crowd in New Orleans on Wednesday morning, killing at least 10 people. “As you can imagine, with an explosion here on an iconic Las Vegas boulevard, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe.”

There did not appear to be any further threat to the public, McMahill said, adding that the investigation would continue: “Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel, there’s lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward.”

Videos posted to social media showed what appeared to be a Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames just outside a hotel’s lobby entrance doors. Other social media posts showed what appeared to be a line of people being led out of the building.

“Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas,” Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s son and a leader of the Trump Organization, said in a statement on X. “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority.”

The same message was posted by the Trump Las Vegas’ social media account. People who were staying at the hotel said they were evacuated because of the fire.

Todd Hansen was on the 27th floor of the hotel when he said he heard a series of loud popping sounds. He took the elevator down to a waiting area, where he saw smoke and sprinklers on in the driveway outside the hotel entrance.

“The elevator area was full of people,” Hansen said. “They would not let you out of the elevator area and into the lobby.” He went back to his room to alert his wife and they were both evacuated when they returned downstairs, he added.

Shir Poli, of San Antonio, said that he had noticed a gas-like smell on the floor and elevator. He managed to take his luggage with him as evacuations were underway.

Kerri Ford, of Wisconsin, said she had left her room for a cup of coffee when she was told to leave the building. She was set to be married Wednesday afternoon, and her wedding dress and marriage license were left in the room.

“We didn’t know there was anything going on,” Ford said. “We just happened to come down for coffee and they’re like, ‘You have to evacuate.’”

The hotel, on Fashion Show Drive, has nearly 1,300 suites and is 64 stories, according to the Trump Hotels website.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.