Explosion outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas kills one, injures seven

Police are investigating an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas after a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fuel canisters and fireworks blew up on Wednesday morning.

The driver was killed, and seven others were injured, although none of the injuries were severe, according to police.

Authorities have not yet identified the individuals involved.

The Tesla Cybertruck, rented in Colorado, arrived in Las Vegas just a couple of hours before the explosion.

Police say the truck was parked in front of the hotel near the entrance, and after it started smoking, it suddenly exploded.

The powerful blast sent colorful fireworks shooting in all directions.

During a press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahill shared footage of the explosion and photos of the damage.

Several fuel canisters and large fireworks were found in the truck bed.

The video showed the truck sitting still for a few seconds before it erupted.

Another clip revealed investigators extinguishing the fire and the burned-out remains of the truck, which left behind fuel canisters and more than a dozen firework mortars.

The explosion took place around 8:40 a.m. local time, only hours after a separate attack in New Orleans, where a truck displaying an Islamic State (IS) flag plowed into a crowd, killing 15 people.

Investigators are trying to determine if there’s any connection between the two incidents.

Authorities found improvised explosive devices near the scene in New Orleans.

Sheriff McMahill said they are investigating possible links between the Las Vegas incident and the New Orleans attack, as well as connections to President-Elect Donald Trump, who owns the hotel, or Tesla owner Elon Musk.

"Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel—there‍‍`s lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward," McMahill said.

The FBI is also looking into whether the explosion could be a terrorist act, but they have not yet identified the driver who died in the truck.

So far, no evidence has linked the Las Vegas explosion to IS.

"I know everybody‍‍`s interested in that word, and trying to see if we can say, ‍‍`Hey, this is a terrorist attack.‍‍` That is our goal, and that‍‍`s what we‍‍`re trying to do," FBI special agent Jeremy Schwartz told reporters during the news conference.

Both the Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas and the truck involved in the New Orleans attack were rented through Turo, a car-sharing app.

A Turo spokesperson confirmed that the company is working closely with authorities on the investigation.

According to the spokesperson, both renters had clean backgrounds and were not flagged as security threats.

"We are heartbroken by the violence in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our thoughts are with the victims and their families," the company said in a statement.

Authorities have the name of the person who rented the truck but have not yet confirmed if they were the one driving at the time of the explosion.

"As you can imagine, with an explosion happening on such an iconic part of Las Vegas Boulevard, we‍‍`re taking every precaution to make sure our community is safe," McMahill added.

There is no longer any threat to the Las Vegas area, according to police.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the Las Vegas explosion, as well as the attack in New Orleans.

"We‍‍`re tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas," Biden said in an evening address.

"Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there‍‍`s any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans."

The Las Vegas Fire Department said emergency crews responded quickly and were able to control the fire.

The area around the hotel has been sealed off, and hotel guests have been moved to a safer location.

Eric Trump, Donald Trump‍‍`s son, confirmed the incident in a post on X, saying, "A reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas."

He also expressed thanks to first responders for their swift action.

Stephen Ferlando, a guest staying at the hotel, told the Washington Post that he witnessed the explosion from his room on the 53rd floor.

He said the blast shook his windows and that "there was definitely an explosion."

The Trump Hotel, which is partially owned by Donald Trump‍‍`s company, has 64 floors and about 1,300 suites.

Recently, Elon Musk, Tesla‍‍`s CEO, was appointed by President-Elect Trump to co-lead a government advisory committee focused on efficiency.

The two have become close allies following Trump’s election campaign.