Hotel Shangri-la at Chowrasta in Darjeeling, a favourite with many tourists, was ravaged by a fire on Thursday.

The fire, which broke out around 11.50am, seems to have started from the south-end of the hotel which used to house the staff room and kitchen. Three fire tenders were deployed for over three hours to bring flames under control, but the reason behind the blaze is not yet clear.

“Almost 50 per cent of the structure is gone. The outside might look fine but everything has been destroyed inside. We need to investigate the reason for the fire,” said a fire official.

Shangri-la has a famous restaurant and bar on the ground floor and four rooms on the first floor.

Samir Rai, one of the first witnesses, said he was basking in the sun when he noticed smoke billowing out of the first floor of the hotel. “I tried to alert people nearby and ran to the police booth,” said Rai.

The structure made of stone masonry and wood carries many memories not just for the people of Darjeeling but also for many tourists.

Many Darjeeling residents and tourists fondly remembered on social media their time spent at the Shangri-la.

The British-era building was called Carburry House. Darjeeling Properties Limited bought it from an English lady named Rosa Rebecca Rosamund in 1943, said Siddharth Gyalsen, one of the directors of the company.

“The property was then run by Bobby Wong who ran the famous The Park Restaurant before the place was again rented to B.S. Lama who ran the restaurant in the name of Shangri-la,” said another company official.

Gyaltsen added that he had filed a general diary after the fire “seeking an inquiry into the cause of fire” and has also requested steps be taken “to ensure that no persons whomsoever save and except authorised officials enter the site as it is in a highly dangerous condition”.

It is learnt that B.S. Lama’s sons Ranjan and Sonam are running Shangri-la but both are currently abroad.

The hotel’s website states: “The hotel is owned by a Tibetan, Ranjan Lama, who owns the very popular hotel Shangri-la Regency, also in Darjeeling.”

Ranjan Lama, speaking to The Telegraph over phone from the United Kingdom, said: “I am currently coordinating with my staff in Darjeeling….I would be able to speak in detail tomorrow (Friday).”