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As the magnitude of the disaster became clear, the response was swift and multi-faceted. Authorities immediately enacted a partial closure of the highway, a logistical necessity that caused traffic to back up for kilometers, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in a state of growing anxiety. Within these queues, the air was thick with the glow of cell phone screens as families frantically dialed loved ones. In the digital age, the inability to reach someone who is known to be on that specific route creates a unique, modern form of agony. For many, the unanswered ringtone became the first indicator of a life-shattering change.
