Rescue efforts began almost immediately after Tuesday’s massive explosion rocked Beirut and its surrounding area, in total affecting over 2 million people, in a crisis that has flooded already overworked hospital staff.
On Wednesday, residents began clearing glass and rubble strewn across the city, sweeping popular streets and neighborhoods in places such as Gemayzeh and Mar Mikhael. They helped clear the path for rescue workers to begin searching for missing people.