The bomber struck shortly after 6 pm local time at a warehouse in the Beirut port area, shaking the city.
Its magnitude was so strong that its effects were felt 240 km away in the eastern Mediterranean country of Cyprus, where people considered it an earthquake.
Prior to the blast, a fire was seen at the affected area in the port, after which a large explosion took place and orange clouds covered the crash site.
The blast caused extensive damage to the port and its environs, as well as business and residential buildings and vehicles.
President Aoun Michel has declared three days of mourning since Wednesday. A meeting of Lebanon's federal cabinet has also been convened on Wednesday, and the president has called for a two-week state of emergency.
The blast appeared to have taken place in a warehouse of ammonium nitrate, but has not been officially confirmed.
The Lebanese president has said the ammonium nitrate had been in an unsafe warehouse for six years.
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has said it is unacceptable that the warehouse contained 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. "I will not leave China until I find out who is responsible for this incident so that he can be held accountable and severely punished," he wrote in a message on his Twitter account.
The Lebanese president added that his government was releasing 100 billion lira, equivalent to ڈالر 65 million, to deal with emergencies.
Rescue operations are still under way in the affected area, and rescue workers say the death toll is expected to rise.
"We are seeing a huge catastrophe," said George Qaitani, head of the Lebanese Red Cross. There are wounded and dead everywhere.
Authorities say an investigation has been launched into the incident to determine the cause of the blast.
The blast comes at a time when the country is in deep crisis. The economic situation in the country is very bad and at the same time there is an outbreak of corona virus.
There is also a state of political tension in the country as the verdict in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005, is due on Friday.
Sorry from the international community
The international community has expressed concern and regret over the bombing in Lebanon.
The international community has expressed its condolences to the Lebanese government and people over the loss of life and property.
Officials from Britain, the United States, Germany, Israel and Iran have also offered help in their message.
The German embassy confirmed on Twitter that its staff had been injured in the incident, while UN peacekeepers were also injured.
What is Ammonium Nitrate?
The ammonium nitrate that apparently caused the explosion was reportedly seized from a ship in 2013 and stored in a warehouse.
Ammonium nitrate is used for many purposes but it is mostly used in fertilizers in the agricultural sector but it is also used as a flammable material.
Prior to the blast, a fire was seen at the affected area in the port, after which a large explosion took place and orange clouds covered the crash site.
When it is brought close to fire, it explodes, releasing toxic gases, including nitrogen oxides and ammonia.
Because it catches fire, strict rules and regulations are in place to keep it safe. It is also important to make sure that there is no risk of fire where it is kept safe and that there are no pipes, no exit routes where it can be stored.
Lebanon surrounded by economic crisis and political tension
Lebanon is currently experiencing political tensions. There are huge public demonstrations against the government. People are protesting against the government's decision to deal with the current economic crisis.
This is the worst economic crisis in Lebanon since the 1975-1990 civil war.
At the same time, the government is dealing with ongoing tensions with Israel on the border.
Israel said in a statement last week that it had thwarted an attempt by Hezbollah to infiltrate the Israeli border from Lebanon.
Rescue operations are still underway in the affected area and aid workers say the death toll is expected to rise.
What are the details of the Hariri case?
The bomber struck near a site where 23 people, including former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, were killed in a bomb blast in February 2005 as they drove off.
Rafiq Hariri was one of the country's leading Sunni politicians. At the time of his death, he had been demanding the withdrawal of Syrian troops stationed in the country since 1976.
The blasts sparked violent protests against the then pro-Syrian government and blamed cross-border forces. Within two weeks of the incident, the government resigned and Syria withdrew its troops.
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