It was the maiden voyage of a luxury liner in a relatively modern period of relatively safe ocean travel. It was not a wartime loss. Also, there were many rich and famous people on board, many who died.

I'd put it down to four primary factors.

1. The pedigree of the ship and its passengers

2. The fact that it sank in long enough a period for these stories to play out but too short for any help to arrive

3. The advent of instantaneous communication around the world

4. How avoidable it was in hindsight