My own opinion is that media has not been interested in others because the assumption is most of others who faced natural disaster are mostly adults, while this is a group of young boys who were separated from their attachment figures for a long time, while they were going through the trauma, some were close to death and they may also have survivor's guilt because a hero lost his life to save theirs.
I don't think the media put it into the same words, but there was all the public outcry of the border separations, too, and the reason media was so outraged is that these children are being traumatized and this will have a lasting impression on them as well.
The trend in counselling is what we call "trauma-informed practice." People are finally starting to recognize the devastating long-term effect of trauma on mental well-being, and it seems the public trend is to end the trauma! So the public, media, and other human rights groups are bringing this issue into public and political awareness more and more. Trauma can change every cell in the body, it can lead to self-medication with addictions, it can (will, in the case of the boys) leave permanent cellular markers of the trauma, and that will be carried on genetically in their own children.... it's a huge issue.
But in the case of the boys, I think it's because it was a whole team of young boys who were separated from their attachment figures for an extended time - and could not be immediately reunited with them after rescue. After a tornado or flood, most people reunite with their attachment figures very, very soon, if not immediately, to seek comfort.