THIS is the dramatic moment a Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels killing one – and leading tech tycoon Elon Musk to speak out about the blast himself.
Cops are probing whether the deadly explosion was an “act of terror” after the truck pulled up to the hotel in Nevada and blew up – killing the driver and injuring seven bystanders.
Shocking footage caught the moment the blast occurred outside the glass entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas just before 9am on Wednesday.
The Cybertruck was ripped apart by the huge explosion that sent its’ metal paneling flying.
Shattered glass was thrown across the entrance of the hotel with seven others injured.
Inside the truck were fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver, CNN reports.
The truck was then left as a blazing wreck that continued to burn for some time.
In a post on his social networking site X, Tesla founder Musk said the explosion was caused by “very large fireworks and/or a bomb.”
He added the explosion was “unrelated to the vehicle itself.”
Billionaire Musk said in an earlier post his team was looking into the cause of the blast, which left him stunned.
He said: “Will post more information as soon as we learn anything.
“We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Investigators haven’t been able to determine what caused the explosion and they’re looking into if it was an intentional act of terror, ABC News reported.
The Cybertruck was reportedly carrying fireworks at the time of the blast.
A hotel guest shared video of the Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames just beyond the hotel’s doors.
The explosion came just hours after a suspected terrorist rammed a truck into a crowd celebrating New Year in New Orleans, killing ten and wounding more than 30.
The suspect was killed by cops after he got out of his truck and started shooting at them,
Police found an ISIS flag on the back of his truck and they’re searching for associates of the suspect who may have helped him in the terror plot.
It’s believed he may have had help from four or five others.
Both the Cybertruck that exploded and the pickup truck used in the New Orleans terror attack were rented through the Turo car-sharing app.
Investigations are looking into any potential links between the two disasters.
There is no suggestion yet that the attacks were linked.
“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,” the guest wrote on X.
Another person wrote, “Some sort of explosion at Trump tower in Las Vegas.
“Heard what sounded like a dumpster being dropped on the ground and dragged across the ground for 10 seconds,” another person wrote on X.
Loud bangs can be heard throughout the short video as the fire rages.
Stranded luggage sits just beside the sprawling entrance’s revolving doors.
The video also shows fire alarms going off inside the hotel as the blaze spread throughout the vehicle.
An ambulance and multiple cop cars were seen racing to the hotel, located just off the main world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
Footage shared on X showed people standing in a parking lot near the hotel after being evacuated.
Fashion Show Drive has been shut down while officials tend to the scene.
The Trump Hotel released a statement on social media acknowledging the incident that was also shared by Eric Trump, the Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization.
“Earlier today a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas. The safety & well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response,” the statement read.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Tesla and the hotel for comment.
News of the blaze comes hours after President-elect Donald Trump – whose name adorns two other hotels in addition to the Las Vegas one – and Musk celebrated the New Year together in Florida.
Musk was one of hundreds of attendees at Trump’s star-studded Mar-a-Lago bash.
The Space X boss’ four-year-old son, X, was also in attendance.
Musk recently moved into a luxury cottage on the Mar-a-Lago property, according to reports.
He has become a strong Trump ally in recent months and will serve as co-chair of the new Department of Government Efficiency once Trump is inaugurated later this month.
By Harry Cole, Political Editor of The Sun.
PEOPLE joked about Elon Musk joining the Trump administration – and lo and behold, he’s actually done it.
He’s not been given a formal government job – and won’t be in the White House – but he’s setting up the Department of Government Efficiency.
That is DOGE for short – and internet fans will know this is a small fluffy dog meme, of which Musk is a fan. Again, everyone thought he was joking about the name – and now he’s gone and done it.
Musk will lead this efficiency drive, looking at where government savings can be made. He will be applying the sort of private sector efficiency that he is so famed for at Tesla and SpaceX.
This is a guy who puts reusable rockets in the air and grabs them out of the sky with giant chopsticks.
He knows what he is talking about. Left-wing media have sneered at Musk since he backed Trump as they see the Republican as toxic.
But Musk is clearly an incredibly intelligent guy who is going to devote his time and resources to the United States.
It is clear Trump is moving fast – and he is breaking things. This is his second term and don’t forget he can’t be reelected again, he’s only got one more chance to do things in a very different way.
When he came into office in 2016, there was a bit of a rush to make lots of appointments. He is the first to admit he chose some bad bad ones.
But this time around it’s going to be a very different presidency – starting with bringing in Musk. Trump is sending a signal: “Business as usual is over.”
