Published: January 1, 2025, 02:09h. 

Last edited: January 1, 2025, 02:16h.

A car parked outside the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas exploded on New Year’s Day, leading to an investigation by local authorities.

The car, potentially a Tesla Cybertruck, also ignited while in the hotel’s valet area. It was engulfed in flames.

Prompted by Las Vegas TV station KSNV, police and fire officials were initially notified at 8:41 a.m. PT.

According to the U.S. Sun, the smoke and flames activated the hotel’s alarm system. Dark smoke was visible along the Las Vegas Strip, as reported.

The fire was contained and extinguished relatively quickly.

There were no immediate injuries reported. However, at least two ambulances were dispatched to the hotel after the explosion.

The U.S. Sun also noted that some guests at the Trump Hotel left the premises and were sighted in a nearby parking lot following the explosion. It remains uncertain if the hotel was partially or completely evacuated.

The cause of the explosion and fire was still under investigation by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers and local fire officials as of late Wednesday morning.

Eyewitness Accounts

Several witnesses, including individuals in the hotel lobby waiting to check out, claimed to have heard a loud “explosion.”

“Cybertruck exploded in front of Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Our luggage was by the door where we were when it happened,” a guest using the online handle “ayackle” wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.

I and my husband were literally standing where the luggage is in the footage,” she added after sharing a video. “I just saw it pull up, lower like a bus, and boom it goes. Initially looked like fireworks, but then I immediately feared for our lives, thinking it could be a bomb, and ran.

She quickly sought cover.

“I fell to my knees as I hid behind the counter,” the poster remembered.

She observed how the vehicle “quietly pulled up and then there was a massive explosion.”

Another individual on X mentioned hearing a sound like a dumpster being dropped and dragged across the ground for 10 seconds.

Yet another social media user, Stephen Felando, a guest at the Trump hotel, stated on X that there was a “huge explosion.”

Something significant just exploded here. Something went off in the valet section…I don’t know what just happened, but something blew,” he shared.

The impact of the fire and explosion caused windows to vibrate, he added.

The hotel is situated on Fashion Show Drive. The usually busy street was closed off as authorities probed the incident. Traffic was redirected as of late Wednesday morning.

New Orleans Massacre

The Las Vegas fire and explosion occurred shortly after a mass shooting on Bourbon Street in New Orleans around 3:15 a.m. ET on Wednesday. A truck struck pedestrians, resulting in casualties. There is no evidence linking the two events.

Reports from local news outlets indicated that at least 15 people died and approximately 35 were wounded in the New Orleans mass shooting.

Two of the injured were New Orleans police officers. The suspect who drove the truck passed away.

The suspect was identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, from Texas. Inside the truck were found an ISIS flag, firearms, and explosives, according to New Orleans TV station WDSU.

Initial reports suggested that the suspect may not have acted alone in carrying out the attack. It is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism.

The Sugar Bowl, scheduled to take place in New Orleans on Wednesday, was postponed to Thursday.