Making a joke about something is not necessarily "making light of it". It can be a way for an individual or culture to approach and digest a topic that is too difficult or painful to engage with directly.

First responders and medical professionals famously often have a sense of humor too dark to use around outsiders without causing offence/outrage(like what happened here), but I'm quite sure they are not "making light" of the loss of life and terrible injuries they face and fight.