Lebanese customs chief arrested for Beirut Blast

BEIRUT, July 18 (AP): The head of Lebanon's customs authority Badri Daher was arrested on Monday after being questioned over the massive explosion in Beirut earlier this month, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The investigation is focused on why nearly 3,000 tons of explosive ammonium nitrate was being stored at the city's port, reports AP.

The ignition of the stockpile caused an explosion that tore through the capital, killing at least 180 people and wounding 6,000.

Thirty people are still missing after the August4 blast, which caused an estimated $10 billion to $15 billion in damage.

Documents that surfaced after the blast, the single most destructive in Lebanon's history, showed that officials have known for years that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored in a warehouse at the port and knew about the dangers.