Peggy Santoro, Brett McGinness, Marcella Corona, Olivia Ali

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UPDATE: 9:20 P.M.:

The University of Nevada, Reno sent an update on the status of Argenta Hall:

The Reno Fire Department is continuing its check of Argenta Hall, which received the majority of the damage from today's explosion. Work will continue through the night.

Nye Hall, which was closed, was searched and no one was in the building at the time of the explosion.

Students are being relocated to Peavine Hall for a new housing assignment. It is important for students currently living in Argenta to call 775-784-1113 or 775-682-8241 or email housing@unr.edu to confirm whereabouts and safety, and for students to get more information about food and parking.

UPDATE: 9 P.M.

Student Raven Green said she was in her room watching Netflix when she heard a loud boom and felt the building shake.

She thought it was an earthquake. When she opened her door, she could hardly see in the hallway that was full of smoke and debris, with water spraying everywhere.

"It was very scary," she said.

Green, 19, said she had climbed over doors and pieces of drywall but found the stairs broken. She raced back to her room to get out of the smoke and called 911 for help. She was later evacuated.

Sophomore Raymond Floyd was in his room across the street in Peavine Hall studying for a calculus final when he heard a loud noise. At first he dismissed it as someone slamming a door. Then the fire alarm went off.

About 10 minutes after his building was evacuated, there was a "much bigger and louder" explosion, he said.

"I could see smoke and shrapnel in the air and parts of the roof flying off," Floyd said.

He headed to Argenta Hall, where he said it appeared the explosion had torn through laundry rooms on each floor.

Associated Press

UPDATE: 6:20 P.M.

Two explosions tore through a residence hall on the University of Nevada, Reno campus Friday morning, sending a plume of smoke towering into the air and showering the ground with shattered glass and debris as students ran.

Eight people received minor injuries, according to the university. Six were treated at the scene. Two were taken to a hospital, treated and released.

Todd Renwick, chief of police for the UNR Police Department, said further injuries were likely prevented because of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

"We are confident — and lucky — that today, with a light day coming after a holiday, that we really didn't have anybody in those halls," Renwick said.

Small explosion, then the big one

Steve Leighton, operations chief for the Reno Fire Department, said a single-engine company initially responded to a fire alarm and a small explosion in the basement of Argenta Hall at around 1 p.m.

"While we were there investigating it, there was a larger explosion that damaged a large portion of the center of the building," Leighton said. "We're not sure how it happened; possibly some sort of mechanical failure inside the building."

In an interview with the Reno Gazette Journal, Argenta Hall resident Anthony Allen said he was in the hallway on the way to do laundry when the lights went out.

Shortly after, "the alarm went off because one of the boilers had blew up and we started smelling gas in the air," he said.

Allen said he and his roommate ran from the building and were across the street when "the second explosion went off and that was the big explosion where the entire Down Under Cafe blew up and so all the glass in Nye Hall blew up."

The cafe is on the first floor of the building. Nye Hall is adjacent to Argenta Hall; many of its windows were blown out in the blast. No one was injured in Nye, the university said in a statement.

One student was in her dorm room at Argenta Hall when she heard the explosion.

“I heard a really large boom, and the fire alarm went off,” Therese-Mae Lim said Friday. “I went outside of my room and all the lights were off. There was a complete power outage except for the emergency lights.”

Several people who were across from the building were struck by shrapnel when the explosion went off, Lim said.

“I thought I smelled gas when I left the building,” she said.

Destiny Iwuajoku, an orientation guide at UNR, said she and her friends were at the Downunder Café on Argenta's first floor when they were told that a boiler had given out and that they had to evacuate.

“So, we were evacuating the building and a couple of my friends and I were right across from Argenta and it exploded,” Iwuajoku said.

Iwuajoku said 28 other students at nearby Nevada Living Learning Community also had to evacuate. She said she knew of several students, including football players and residential advisers, who were staying at Argenta Hall.

Major damage to building

Leighton said Argenta's basement where the boiler was housed was under two feet of water, which delayed a complete search.

"We have done a systematic search of the building; there is nobody in the building at this time," he said Friday afternoon at a news conference. "There is one area that we're still concerned with, and that is the basement where we think the explosion occurred."

"There was major damage to Argenta Hall," Leighton said. "We do have the Reno Fire Department technical rescue team on scene that will be making sure the building's safe. We also called a building engineer in to help us determine if the building's safe."

Law enforcement said they are operating under the assumption that a mechanical failure caused the explosions, and they are not seeking any suspects in the incident.

North Virginia Street was shut down while emergency responders from the university, Washoe County, Reno, Sparks and the Nevada Highway Patrol were on scene. The area was cordoned off and classes were canceled for the rest of the day.

The university has not released information on when the residence hall might reopen or where students would be housed if it wasn't open by the time classes resume in fall.

In a text to UNR students and faculty, UNR asked students living or working in Argenta Hall to call 775-784-1113 or email housing@unr.edu to confirm their safety.

The residence hall opened in 2006. The seven-floor building houses up to 750 residents. The university's web page refers to Argenta as a civic engagement-themed residence hall.

5:26 p.m. update:

In an interview with the Reno Gazette Journal, Argenta Hall resident Anthony Allen said he was in the hallway on the way to do laundry when the lights went out.

Shortly after, "the alarm went off because one of the boilers had blew up and we started smelling gas in the air," he said.

Allen said he and his roommate ran from the building and were across the street when "the second explosion went off and that was the big explosion where the entire Down Under Cafe blew up and so all the glass in Nye Hall blew up."

Allen said the boiler was a floor below his room and that the second-level floor caved in, but the RGJ was unable to confirm that detail.

5:15 p.m. update: In a text to UNR students and faculty, UNR asked students living or working in Argenta Hall to call 775-784-1113 or email housing@unr.edu to confirm their safety.

4:30 p.m. update:

Two explosions hit UNR's Argenta Hall on Friday afternoon, according to Steve Leighton, operations chief for the Reno Fire Department.

A single-engine company initially responded to a fire alarm and a small explosion in the basement of Argenta Hall at around 1 p.m.

"While we were there investigating it, there was a larger explosion that damaged a large portion of the center of the building," Leighton said. "We're not sure how it happened; possibly some sort of mechanical failure inside the building."

"We have done a systematic search of the building; there is nobody in the building at this time. There is one area that we're still concerned with, and that is the basement where we think the explosion occurred."

He added that the basement is under two feet of water, which has delayed a complete search.

Eight were injured; six were treated on scene, according to Leighton. Two were transferred to the hospital, but have been released.

"There was major damage to Argenta Hall," Leighton said. "We do have the Reno Fire Department technical rescue team on scene that will be making sure the building's safe. We also called a building engineer in to help us determine if the building's safe."

Nye Hall, connected to Argenta Hall, was also damaged, but no one was injured. Todd Renwick, chief of police for the UNR Police Department, said the Fourth of July holiday weekend likely prevented further injuries.

"We are confident — and lucky — that today, with a light day coming after a holiday, that we really didn't have anybody in those halls," Renwick said.

Law enforcement said they are operating under the assumption that a mechanical failure caused the explosions, and they are not seeking any suspects in the incident.

Sierra Street and Virginia Street between 9th and 17th streets will remain closed until further notice.

UNR released the following statement on the incident:

At 1 p.m. today there was an explosion caused by a possible mechanical failure that damaged Argenta and Nye Halls, two of the University’s student dorms, causing significant damage to the two buildings.

There were eight people treated by REMSA, all with very minor injuries. All have been treated and released.

The buildings are being checked floor by floor by fire and emergency crews for structural damage and for any remaining occupants. Our main focus is public safety and completing the search of the building. No one is missing.

Law enforcement is not looking for suspects. The first small explosion was witnessed by people on scene and was followed by a second larger explosion.

Virginia Street and Sierra Street are closed to traffic. If necessary, campus can be accessed from Evans Ave and the public is asked to avoid the area so emergency personnel can work.

Governor Steve Sisolak and City of Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve have been briefed and have offered their full support. University Polices Services have been joined by Reno, Sparks and Washoe County emergency crews in response to the incident.

Additional updates will be released as information becomes available.

Check website to see where students will be relocated. For information call 775-784-1113 or 775-682-8241.

Watch the full press conference here:

3:26 p.m. update:The Nevada Highway Patrol said they will reopen the off-ramp to Virginia Street, but all roads within a half-mile perimeter of the incident will stay closed until further notice.

3:20 p.m. update: UNR said it is holding a press conference at 3:20 p.m. to give an update on the explosion on campus.

2:48 p.m. update:

All classes have been canceled for the remainder of the day, according to a text alert from UNR. The text said that updates will be posted on the university's website, www.unr.edu.

2:35 p.m. update:

Three people were injured in the explosion at Argenta Hall, according to Washoe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Bob Harmon. The injuries were categorized as green-level injuries, which indicates that they are not life-threatening.

"The university is taking the lead on it but (the Washoe County Sheriff's Office) came out to help if needed," Harmon said. "We want to make sure everyone's safe; that's our first priority."

Multiple agencies have responded to the incident, including the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, the Reno and Sparks police departments, the Reno Fire Department and the Nevada Highway Patrol.

2:22 p.m. update:

UNR officials announced the area around Argenta and Nye halls were closed. They're asking people to stay away.

According to a reporter at the scene, a dining employee at Downunder Café said the alarm went off before the explosion happened.

2:12 p.m. update:

One student was in her dorm room at Argenta Hall when she heard the explosion.

“I heard a really large boom, and the fire alarm went off,” Therese-Mae Lim said Friday. “I went outside of my room and all the lights were off. There was a complete power outage except for the emergency lights.”

Several people, who were across from the building, were struck by shrapnel when the explosion went off, Lim said.

“I thought I smelled gas when I left the building,” she said.

Destiny Iwuajoku, an orientation guide at UNR, said she and her friends were at the Downunder Café when they were that a boiler had given out and that they had to evacuate.

“So, we were evacuating the building and a couple of my friends and I were right across from Argenta and it exploded,” Iwuajoku said.

Iwuajoku said 28 other students at Nevada Living Learning Community also had to evacuate. She said she knew of several students, including football players and residential advisers, were staying at Argenta Hall.

Attempts at reaching the Reno Police Department, the Reno Fire Department, and the UNR police for more information were not immediately successful.

1:42 p.m. update:

"There was a gas leak ... I was in the LLC (the Nevada Living Learning Community) and I could feel it from there. It was really strong," said UNR student Dominique Hall. The Nevada Living Learning Community is a dormitory on North Virginia Street and College Drive, about 400 feet north of Argenta Hall.

Original story:

Emergency crews are responding to an incident at Argenta Hall, a dormitory at the University of Nevada, Reno. University officials are calling the explosion a utilities accident, and is asking that people avoid the area.

"There has been a utilities accident on the main campus Police and fire on scene please stay away," UNR sent in a text message to faculty and students at 1:32 p.m.

Virginia Street is closed from Artemisia to College Drive. Sierra Street is also closed in the vicinity.

The residence hall opened in 2006. The seven-floor building houses up to 750 residents. The university's web page refers to Argenta as a civic engagement-themed residence hall.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.