Police investigate an electronic truck explosion at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas

Police are investigating the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Police said that an electronic truck stopped in front of the hotel on Wednesday near a glass entrance, then smoke began coming from the vehicle and it exploded.

Police said the driver was killed and seven people were injured, without naming any of the individuals involved. Officials said all injuries were minor.

In a post on X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the explosion was “caused by a very large fireworks and/or bomb carried in the bed of a rented Cybertruck and had nothing to do with the vehicle itself.”

The fire broke out around 0840 Pacific time (1540 GMT), just hours after 15 people were killed when a man drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, on New Year’s Day.

Police have not yet confirmed whether the Las Vegas incident was caused by a bomb or fireworks, but two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that investigators are working to determine whether fireworks were responsible for the incident. .

Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Police Department said officials are “well aware of what happened.” What happened in New OrleansIn reference to the attack that included the discovery of improvised explosive devices near the scene of the incident in Louisiana.

“As you can imagine, with an explosion here on this famous Las Vegas Strip, we are taking all the precautions we have to take to keep our community safe,” he said during a press conference.

“Obviously with the e-truck, the Trump hotel, there are a lot of questions that we have to answer as we move forward,” he added.

The two incidents were not linked. Mr McMahill said there was no longer a threat to the Las Vegas community.

Emergency responders quickly worked to extinguish the vehicle fire, fire department officials said.

They added that the public should stay away from the area, and the hotel was evacuated, with most guests moving to a different location.

The hotel is partly owned by President-elect Donald Trump’s company. In a post on the website

“The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains our top priority,” he said. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their quick response and professionalism.”

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident and that his administration had offered any federal assistance needed.

Video clips of the incident circulated on social media show an electronic truck catching fire in front of the Trump Hotel.

Stephen Ferlando told The Washington Post that he witnessed the incident from his hotel room on the 53rd floor of Trump Tower. He told the outlet that there was “definitely an explosion” and that the windows started shaking.

The Trump Hotel consists of 64 floors and includes about 1,300 suites, according to its website.

Trump recently appointed Musk to co-lead a presidential advisory committee, the Government Efficiency Administration, after the two became close during Trump’s campaign.