At least one person died, and seven others were injured after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day.
The explosion occurred around 8:40 a.m. PT (15:40 GMT), just hours after a man identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck displaying an Islamic State (IS) group flag into a crowd in New Orleans, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. Authorities are investigating possible connections between the two incidents.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stated during a news conference on Wednesday that while they believe the Cybertruck explosion to be an isolated incident, they have not ruled out links to the New Orleans attack, where improvised explosive devices were discovered near the scene.
“There is no further threat to the community,” McMahill assured, noting that gas canisters, camp fuel canisters, and large firework mortars were found in the back of the Cybertruck.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has absolved the Cybertruck of any malfunction, claiming “the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself” in a post on X.
Musk hailed his invention, the cybertruck, for containing the explosion and redirecting the “blast upwards.”
“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken,” Musk added.
He stressed that “all vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”
Eric Trump, son of President-elect Donald Trump and executive vice president of the Trump Organisation—which includes entities like the Trump International Hotel— also issued a statement on X.
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“Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas,” Eric Trump wrote. “The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism.”
Investigation is underway as authorities work to determine whether this tragic explosion is connected to Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s terror attack in New Orleans.