Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, killing 1 and injuring 7

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Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, killing 1 and injuring 7

A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Towers in Las Vegas, according to officials and video showing the vehicle engulfed in flames. A person inside the vehicle died and seven others suffered minor injuries, police said.

“There is one deceased individual in the Cybertruck, and I don’t know whether it’s a male or female,” said Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at a press conference.

“At this time, we are investigating a number of leads, and I’m not prepared to release any of that information to you just yet. I can tell you that there are seven victims right now that sustained injuries from the explosion,” he added. The injuries are reportedly minor, said McMahill. 

The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known. McMahill noted that officials are “very well aware” of the deadly New Orleans attack on Wednesday, when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers, killing at least 10 people. Because of the timing, he said officials are “taking all of the precautions that we need to take to keep our community safe.”

“We’re looking for secondary devices,” he added.

Trump Tower stands behind yellow tape, after a Tesla Cybertruck burned at the entrance of the building in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 1, 2025.

Ronda Churchill / REUTERS

In the past year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become a close adviser to Trump, with the billionaire tasked to head up Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Musk, along with his co-leader of DOGE, Vivek Ramaswamy, are aiming to cut billions in federal spending.

“[O]bviously a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel — there’s lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward with that,” McMahill said.

Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a post on X, Musk

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“The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now. Will post more information as soon as we learn anything. We’ve never seen anything like this.”

Eric Trump, one of President-elect Donald Trump’s sons, wrote about the fire on social media on Wednesday,

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that an “electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas.” 

Evacuation at Trump Las Vegas hotel

A county spokeswoman said in a statement that the fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported at 8:40 a.m. Details about the incident were sketchy.

“I know you have a lot of questions,” Jeremy Schwartz, acting FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Las Vegas office, said at the news conference. “We don’t have a lot of answers.”

Officials urged people to stay away from the area around the Trump Las Vegas hotel, which was evacuated. The 64-story hotel is just off the famed Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.

Tesla introduced its steel-clad, futuristic-looking Cybertruck in 2023, with Musk at the time touting the vehicle’s bullet-proof windows. The all-wheel Cybertruck ranges in price from about $80,000 to $100,000. 

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.

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Aimee Picchi

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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