Cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel, kills one, injures seven

USA, On Wednesday, one person was killed and seven others were injured in a cybertruck explosion outside US President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas. The explosion in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department confirmed the incident and said that the truck was filled with firecrackers, fuel canisters and other explosives. The truck driver was killed and seven other people nearby suffered minor injuries.
Jeremy Swartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said that the identification of the deceased and the identification of the terrorist connection to the incident is a priority.
Police Chief Kevin McMahill said the truck was rented from Colorado through the Turo app. But said that the relationship between the deceased and the person who rented the truck is yet to be confirmed.
Video footage from Tesla charging stations helped track the truck’s journey. According to the video, the truck arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. and about an hour later pulled into the Vale parking area of the Trump International Hotel. Within 15 to 20 seconds, the truck exploded in the parking area.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the cause of the explosion was “a large firecracker or possible bomb placed in the back of the Cybertruck”. Musk clarified that the incident was not a problem with Tesla vehicles and informed that the telemetry data was normal.
Musk, who has become a close ally of Trump, recently contributed heavily to support Trump’s presidential campaign. Trump has named Musk, who also attended Trump’s New Year’s party, as co-leader of a new plan to cut government spending.
When asked about the political relationship of the incident, McMahill said, “This is a Tesla truck, Alan Musk is working with Trump, and this is Trump Tower.” So, taking all of those factors into account, the investigation is ongoing.”
The incident came just hours after a truck attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans that killed 15 people. Authorities said they were investigating a possible connection between the two incidents.
In a statement, Touro said the people involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans incidents had no criminal records.
Ana Bruce, a tourist from Brazil, recounted the experience of the three explosions in the event, saying, “Fire was seen after the first explosion, the second one probably caused a battery explosion, and the third big explosion covered the area with smoke.”
The 64-story Trump International Hotel is located near the Las Vegas Strip, right across from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall. Trump’s son, Eric Trump, took to social media to praise local police and fire departments for their quick and efficient work.