A haunting scene enveloped Los Angeles International Airport in an instant. An explosion ripped through the blue sky, turning what seemed like a safe landing for a private jet into a fiery inferno. Witnesses screamed as red flames engulfed the plane’s wing. “It was like a giant fireball, I’ve never seen anything like it,” a trembling traveler recounted through the thick smoke.
Airport firefighters rushed to the scene, hoses spraying water in a desperate attempt to contain the blaze. Sirens wailed, groups of passengers were evacuated, many collapsed when they realized the plane was a Gulfstream G650 — Elon Musk’s familiar private jet. “I can’t believe it, I just saw him get on in San Francisco this morning,” another witness choked.
Rescuers quickly pulled Musk from the cockpit, his body covered in ash and injuries. Paramedics rushed in, CPR, chest compressions, oxygen masks pressed tight, sweat rolling down their foreheads as time ran out. “Clear!” was shouted, the electric shock from the defibrillator jolted his body. But his heartbeat was still erratic, the monitor flickering in despair. Ambulances blared through the chaotic crowd, taking him to UCLA Hospital.
Outside the hospital, thousands of fans gathered, many sobbing, holding up their phones to livestream, turning the place into a global focal point. On social media, the hashtags #PrayForElon and #GoodbyeMusk exploded, spreading like wildfire. Politicians, tech CEOs, and international artists all shared their prayer statuses. Bill Gates wrote: “Despite our differences, I never expected Elon to die this way.” The Canadian Prime Minister sent his condolences, while the US President declared “a chapter in the history of technology has just ended tragically.”
In the bright white ICU, doctors continued to fight for life. The red alarm light on the monitor kept flashing. The sound of the machine was so loud that it drowned out the doctor’s shout: “One more shock!” But the body was too weak, the reaction was weak and then stopped. At 15:47, the head doctor on duty was forced to declare Elon Musk dead. The atmosphere was heavy, many nurses burst into tears, some stood still, unable to believe they had just witnessed a tragic historical moment.
The grief spread. In New York, Nasdaq paused trading for 15 minutes to pay their respects. In Tokyo, long lines of people lined up candles around Tesla Japan headquarters. Paris set up an electronic screen that read “Merci, Elon.” At Cape Canaveral, SpaceX engineers bowed their heads in silence, the only sound echoing was the sound of the waves.
The tragedy did not stop there. In the chaos outside Los Angeles airport, hundreds of fans jostled to see for themselves, leading to the collapse of a temporary pedestrian bridge. At least 12 people were injured, many others were taken to the hospital. A rescue helicopter arrived to help, but suddenly encountered a mechanical problem and was forced to make an emergency landing on the parking lot, adding to the chaos. Los Angeles police were forced to block off the entire area.
All over the world, candles were lit, white flowers covered the headquarters of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter. Musk’s family remained silent, only issuing a short statement: “We are in great pain.” Fans whispered: “You taught us to dream of the stars. Now you have become a distant star.”
And as fate would have it, the day of Elon Musk’s death turned into a global tech national mourning. The entire planet entered a white night, where candlelight replaced the light of screens, and tears reflected the unfulfilled dreams of a man who always wanted to change the world.
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