One dead and seven injured after Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel rocked by Tesla 'explosion'
GB NEWS
'The explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb,' Elon Musk said, after footage of the inferno went viral online
One person has been killed and seven more have been injured after a Tesla vehicle exploded at one of Donald Trump's hotels today.
Smoke was seen pouring out from below the Trump International Las Vegas hotel today after a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames outside.
Eyewitnesses at the 64-storey luxury hotel said an evacuation took place - while footage circulating on social media showed black smoke billowing from its ground floor.
Unverified reports on social media initially said the smoke followed an "explosion" at the hotel - while officials told GB News an "active incident" was underway.
Further footage then emerged appearing to show a Tesla Cybertruck in flames just metres from the hotel's front door, with fire and smoke pouring out of the electric vehicle.
Then, a CCTV recording from the scene showed the car violently bursting into flames as sparks flew across the street.
Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief Thomas Touchstone said that as first responders began to extinguish the fire, they "realised at the same time that there were multiple persons with injuries located around the vehicle."
Writing on his social media platform X, tech tycoon and Donald Trump ally Elon Musk said: "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."
He later wrote: "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.
"All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion."
CCTV footage from the scene showed the car violently bursting into flames as sparks flew across the street
X
Further footage appears to show a Tesla Cybertruck in flames just metres from the hotel's front door
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One witness to the car fire, who shared footage of the incident, said: "Cybertruck blew up in front of Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Those are our luggage by the door and that's where we were when it happened."
In a statement released just before 6pm GMT, Las Vegas's police department said: "We are investigating a vehicle fire at the entrance to Trump Towers. The fire is out."
Another witness wrote earlier on social media: "My friend who did the Grucci fireworks show in Las Vegas just now texted me that there was a huge explosion at Trump Tower in Vegas."
A third eyewitness added: "Some sort of explosion at Trump tower in Las Vegas. No idea what happened yet."
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Smoke has been seen pouring from Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel
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The Trump hotel, in the heart of the Sin City, bills itself as a "sophisticated, non-smoking and non-gaming, luxury" destination, just yards from the Las Vegas Strip.
It has towered over the city since 2008 - and is Las Vegas's tallest residential building.
The golden skyscraper is one of three Trump International hotels in the US, with similar destinations under the President-elect's brand in New York City and Chicago.
Unverified reports on social media claim the smoke followed an 'explosion' at the hotel
X
A statement released on social media by Donald Trump's son Eric read: "Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas.
"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."
GB News has approached Tesla and Trump Hotels for comment.