Horrifying photos of the 'river' of garbage plaguing Beirut

The capital of Lebanon is being flooded by a literal pile of garbage.

A river of refuse, which snakes through Beirut's suburb of Jdeideh, has been building there since the city's main landfill shut down last July.

Here's a glimpse of the stinking problem:

(Images and some captions from Reuters)

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The problem started last July, when city authorities shut down the main landfill without opening an alternative dumping site.

Source: Reuters, CNN

Residents opened a makeshift dump in the yard of a residential building, and it's only been growing since then.

Source: Reuters, CNN

Experts say the trash crisis is a symptom of bigger problems for the country, many of which have worsened since the civil war in neighboring Syria began.

Source: Reuters