Why were searches for missing firefighters difficult during the incident?

The difficulty in searching for missing firefighters during the incident primarily stemmed from zero visibility and large debris. In emergency scenarios, especially those involving fires or structural collapses, visibility can be severely hampered due to smoke, dust, or nighttime conditions. This lack of visibility hinders rescuers’ ability to detect signs of missing individuals.

Additionally, large debris presents significant physical obstacles that can impede search efforts. When buildings or structures collapse, they create dangerous environments filled with rubble that not only conceal individuals but also make navigation hazardous for rescuers. This combination of poor visibility and obstruction from debris intensifies the challenge, making effective search operations both dangerous and inefficient. Therefore, it becomes critical to address these conditions with specific strategies to improve safety and effectiveness in locating missing firefighters.