Firework mortars, gas canisters in Tesla that exploded outside Trump’s Las Vegas hotel

Warning: Graphic content

Washington: One person was killed and several others injured when a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames and exploded outside the entrance of US President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel near the Las Vegas Strip, prompting an investigation into possible terrorism.

The incident was reported on Wednesday morning Las Vegas time after a Cybertruck billowing with smoke and fire pulled into the valet area of the 64-storey building.

It is not known what caused the incident, but police say gas containers and “firework mortars” could be seen in the bed of the vehicle.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department officials said a person had died inside the futuristic-looking pick-up truck and seven people nearby suffered minor injuries.

By late Wednesday afternoon (Thursday AEDT), authorities were still working to get the body out of the vehicle and start processing the evidence inside. President Joe Biden was briefed on the explosion.

Drone footage released by police of the Cybertruck following the explosion.Credit: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

“Our number one goal is to ensure that we have the proper identification of the subject involved in this incident,” said Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office.

“Following that, our second objective is to determine whether this was an act of terrorism or not.”

Sheriff Kevin McMahill said authorities knew who had rented the truck via the Turo app in Colorado, but were not releasing the name until investigators determined whether it was the same person who died.

McMahill said video captured at Tesla charging stations provided by chief executive Elon Musk had helped authorities track the vehicle’s journey. It arrived in Las Vegas about 7.30am, then drove an hour later into the valet area of the Trump International Hotel, where it sat 15 to 20 seconds before exploding.

The Cybertruck exploded outside Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas.Credit: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Video presented at a news conference showed a tumble of charred fireworks mortars, canisters and other explosive devices crowded into the back of the pick-up. The truck bed walls remained intact because the blast shot straight up rather than to the sides.

McMahill said all avenues were being explored in light of the New Orleans attack five hours earlier, in which a man rammed his truck at high speed into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve in the city’s French Quarter.

“We’re very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans, with the event that occurred there,” McMahill told reporters.

“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.”

The vehicle fire was first reported about 8.40am, when the Cybertruck pulled up to the hotel, a bright gold building towering above Fashion Drive, billowing smoke.

Musk, who has become one of the most influential figures in Trump’s orbit, said the blast was unrelated to the Cybertruck itself.

“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 unrelated to the vehicle itself,” Musk said in a post on X. “All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”

Telemetry involves the automatic collection of data from remote sources and its transmission back to a central source so it can later be analysed.

Musk, who occasionally uses his own Cybertruck when he joins Trump’s motorcade to events, issued an earlier statement saying: “We’ve never seen anything like this. The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now. Will post more information as soon as we learn anything.”

Trump’s son Eric, who helps head the Trump organisation, told followers on X: “The safety and wellbeing 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.”

The Cybertruck was unveiled by Tesla in 2019, receiving attention because of its futuristic angular design made of stainless steel and armoured glass. It has autopilot and driver assistance features and retails for about $US80,000 ($129,000).

Wednesday’s explosion is not the first time Musk’s electric vehicles have been investigated. In 2024, the US National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into a crash and fire involving a Tesla electric semi-truck on a Californian highway.

Vehicle experts say electric vehicle fires burn differently than those in cars with combustion engines, often lasting longer and being harder to extinguish.

With Reuters, AP

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.