The full scale of the blast is yet to be felt as rescue efforts continued the morning after the explosion flattened much of the city's port.
There are differing reports about the scale of the impact across Beirut. Some reports, based on statements from Beirut governor Marwan Abboud, suggest hundreds have lost their homes, while MTV news has reported as 250,000 people have been left homeless.
Rescue workers are continuing to search through rubble at the port, according to the civil defence director general, Raymond Khattar, who said it is believed people remain trapped.
There is concern that the damaged structures are unstable and at risk of collapsing. So far, six bodies have been recovered from inside the port and three from the sea. Many more remain missing.
