A massive fire broke out at a cultural fair venue in Salyan, causing over Rs30 million in damages.

The fire started around 11pm on Saturday at the fair site in Town Planning, Sri Nagar, ward 1 of Sharada Municipality, where the National Folk and Duet Song Academy Salyan chapter had been organising an event since January 31.

The blaze gutted stalls and all materials stored for sale, with traders reporting losses worth millions. The fair was severely disrupted.

Locals, traders, organisers, and security personnel took three hours to contain the fire, said Police Inspector Baburam Basnet, information officer at the District Police Office, Salyan.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Of the 160 stalls at the venue, 30 were destroyed, while others were left unusable, Basnet said.

Authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage, while traders have demanded compensation from the organisers.