WASHINGTON: A large fire destroyed a building belonging to an Islamic center in the Texas city of Houston early Friday and US police suspect arson, members of the institute said.

It comes just days after three Muslim students were shot dead in a North Carolina university town in what the victims' families say was a hate crime.

“The blaze was so hot that the complete building and all its many contents were destroyed,” the Quba Islamic Institute said on its Facebook page, adding that other buildings as part of the organisation were undamaged.

“Investigators have made clear that the fire was not accidental. “Houston fire officials were not immediately available for comment.

Images from the local ABC television station showed a large blaze and column of smoke at the building that was primarily used as “storage for books, renovation supplies, and furniture.“