A Tesla Cybertruck exploded in flames outside the Trump Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday (Jan 1), killing one person and injuring at least seven others, officials said, and the FBI said it was joining the investigation.

Videos taken by witnesses inside and outside the hotel showed the vehicle exploding and flames pouring out of it, as it sat just outside the hotel.

The incident occurred just hours after a man drove a truck into crowds of New Year's Day revelers in New Orleans, killing at least 10.

"Obviously a Cybertruck, the Trump hotel — there's lots of questions that we have to answer," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, said the blast was unrelated to the Cybertruck itself.

"We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself," Musk said in a post on X. "All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion."

The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is part of the Trump Organisation, the company of President-elect Trump, who will return to the White House on Jan 20.

Musk was a key backer of Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign and is also an adviser to Trump.

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Source: Reuters