BIRATNAGAR: Five houses were reduced to cinders when a fire broke out at Amahiwariyati in Biratnagar of Morang district on Friday night.

A total of 17 cattle were burnt and Rs 20,000 cash was 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 same night, destroying property worth 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.