A Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames Wednesday morning just outside the entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring several others, according to local officials.
The Clark County Fire Department confirmed that it had responded to a vehicle fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel at approximately 8:40 a.m. local time.
At a news conference, Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief Thomas Touchstone said that as first responders began to extinguish the fire, they “realized at the same time that there were several people with injuries around the vehicle.”
Touchstone said seven people were injured, two of whom were transported to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas.
Touchstone said officials are working to recover the body of the Cybertruck. Authorities asked the public to stay away from the site for the time being.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
In videos circulating online, sirens can be heard inside the lobby of the Trump International Hotel while the vehicle just outside the doors is seen engulfed in flames. One person on social media said she was near the front door when the vehicle exploded and she was forced to leave her luggage by the door.
FBI Las Vegas also said in a statement to NBC News that it “has personnel on site to offer assistance to our local partners, who handled the initial response.”
Tesla, as well as the company’s vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement from the Trump Organization, which was also shared by President-elect Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, on “Vegas.”
“The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remains our top priority. “We extend our sincere thanks to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local authorities for their quick response and professionalism,” the statement reads.
The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is owned by the Trump Organization and American businessman Phil Ruffin.
Loud explosions can be heard in videos from the lobby as the fire grows just beyond the hotel’s entrance, which is emblazoned with the letter “T” for Trump.
Mary Lescano Paguada, 43, who was vacationing in Las Vegas from San Antonio, Texas, to celebrate the new year at the Trump International Hotel, told NBC News she heard an explosion early in the morning.
At first, he didn’t worry until he started seeing police responding to the scene.
Paguada said that once she and her husband reached the lobby, they heard screaming and hotel staff told them to get out and “not breathe the smoke. Don’t stay.”
She said they were not allowed to return to their rooms after they went downstairs in an attempt to get them to evacuate the area.
Posts on social media showed smoke filling the air in the area around the building. Other videos taken from nearby hotels show first responders appearing to rush toward the fire scene.
Trump has tapped Tesla CEO Elon Musk to co-lead an advisory council, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), during his second administration, which aims to cut federal regulations and government spending. Musk, who is the richest person in the world, contributed $277 million to support the campaign of Trump and other Republican candidates, according to campaign finance records.
