LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and seven others were injured on Wednesday after a Tesla Cybertruck caught fire and exploded outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, authorities said.

Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said in a news conference that the Cybertruck fire and explosion was first reported around 8:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT) in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel.

The Cybertruck pulled up to the glass entrance doors of the hotel and smoke started showing from the vehicle. Then a large explosion occurred and one person inside the vehicle was killed.

McMahill said the sex of the dead is still unknown at this time.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said on X that the truck's bed contained gasoline tanks, camping fuel, and large firework mortars.

The truck was rented in Colorado and tracked through Tesla charging stations. The vehicle arrived in Las Vegas about one hour before the explosion and drove up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before it pulled into the valet area of the Trump Hotel.

Officials confirmed that seven people were injured, with two briefly hospitalized and now released. "No suspect information will be released until confirmed," said the police department, adding that "this is a joint investigation with federal, state, and local authorities."

Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, said in a post on X: "The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now."

The ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump noted, "We've never seen anything like this." He wrote later: "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."

The explosion came hours after a mass killing in New Orleans left 15 dead and dozens injured.

"We are very well aware of what has happened in New Orleans ... so as you can imagine with an explosion here on our iconic Las Vegas Boulder, we are taking all of the precautions that we need to keep our community safe," McMahill said.

Investigators are urgently working to determine a motive and whether the driver intended to set off an explosion and why, said a report of ABC News, noting that "until a motive is determined and other possibilities are ruled out, police are treating the explosion like a possible criminal act and a possible act of terror."

"The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority," said Eric Trump, the president-elect's son and a leader of the Trump Organization, on X, adding that "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism."

Security at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City and Chicago has been reportedly boosted after the explosion outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Enditem

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