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Lebanon's customs head Badri Daher arrested over Beirut explosion

Massive blast in Beirut captured by onlookers

The head of Lebanon's customs authority is under arrest after being questioned over the massive explosion in Beirut earlier this month.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported customs chief Badri Daher was arrested on Monday, after being detained following the explosion, which killed at least 180 people and injured 6,000.

Thirty people are still missing after the August 4 blast, which caused up to an estimated $20 billion in damage.

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

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

Massive explosion erupts in Beirut

Mr Daher was arrested following a four-and-a-half hour questioning by Judge Fadi Sawwan, who issued the arrest warrant.

The NNA said that after questioning Mr Daher, the judge headed to the scene of the blast to survey the damage and would later return to question Hassan Koraytem, who was the top port official until the day of the blast.

The explosion at a Beirut Port warehouse tore out a crater 200 metres across that filled with seawater.(AP: Hussein Malla)

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the probe into the devastating blast was "very complex" and would not be finished quickly.

Mr Aoun said the FBI and French investigators were helping because "they, more than us, have the capability and ability to find out the details of what got the ship here, what is the source and who owns it".

A nine-member team of FBI investigators landed in Beirut on Sunday, according to a Lebanese aviation official, and were believed to have joined the investigation.

French investigators have been active for several days at the port.

Two men sit amongst broken glass and strewn wreckage on a road with damaged buildings in the background.
The force of the blast destroyed buildings in the port district and shattered windows across the city.(AP: Hassan Ammar)

Popular anger has swelled over the ruling elite's corruption and mismanagement.

More than 70,000 workers are believed to be unemployed due to the explosions, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Mr Dujarric said about 40,000 buildings were damaged, with 3,000 residential structures severely damaged, and at least 2,000 doctors were either injured or had their clinics destroyed.

Anti-government protesters burn a barricade next to a wall near the Parliament in Beirut.
Anti-government protesters burn a barricade next to a wall installed by security forces to block access to the Parliament after the explosion.(AP: Felipe Dana)

Lebanon's Government, which is supported by the militant Hezbollah group and its allies, resigned on August 10 but continued to serve in a caretaker capacity.

There are no formal consultations underway on who will replace Hassan Diab as prime minister.