Tesla CEO Elon Musk says a bomb or fireworks caused the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, in what authorities are investigating as a possible act of terror.
The explosive materials were carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and thus aren’t related to the Cybertruck itself, Musk said in a Jan. 1 X post:
“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk said in a follow-up post after he confirmed Tesla was investigating the incident.
Police have also reportedly confirmed that the Cybertruck was filled with fireworks-style mortars but are still determining whether they were set off deliberately, ABC said.
Someone blew up a Tesla Cybertruck at Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. This clip show the explosion was clearly not spontaneous.
I don’t want to jump to conclusions when there is little information, but it sure looks like an act of terrorism intended to send a message. pic.twitter.com/V21S1oQTbl
— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) January 1, 2025
Officials have not confirmed the identity of the driver in the Tesla Cybertruck, who was killed in the explosion.
Tesla Cybertruck explosion follows New Orleans truck attack
The Tesla electric truck suddenly exploded outside the Trump International Hotel at 8:40 am local time in Las Vegas — only a few hours after New Year celebrations wrapped up in the entertainment-centric city.
The explosion killed the driver, who had pulled the truck into the valet area of the hotel, and injured seven others.
“A 2024 Cybertruck pulled up to the front of the hotel, and in fact, I can tell you, it pulled right up to the glass entrance doors of the hotel. We saw that smoke start showing from the vehicle, and then a large explosion from the truck,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters.
The blast came just hours before a suspect flying an ISIS flag rammed a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating the New Year on the famous Bourbon Steet in New Orleans — killing at least 15 people.
The aftermath of the New Orleans incident after police shot the perpetrator. Source: X
The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed it is also investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.
Officials say there’s no evidence at the moment linking the two incidents together, according to a report from The New York Post.
However, both the Ford and Tesla pickup trucks were rented from Turo’s rental car application, investigators told The New York Post.
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