Five houses were reduced to cinders when a fire broke out at Amahiwariyati in Biratnagar, Morang, on Friday midnight.

A total of 17 cattle were burnt and money Rs 20,000 in cash destroyed in the flame, police said, adding that property worth around Rs 1.2 million was gutted.

Likewise, a fire broke out in a paper industry in Biratnagar-15 on Friday night, destroying property worth around Rs 2.5 million, police said.

A short-circuit is said to be a cause behind the fire that destroyed raw materials and machines of the industry belonging to one Laxmi Narayan Sah, police said.