RENO, Nev. (AP) — Structural engineers who work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency responding to earthquakes are helping the University of Nevada, Reno lay the groundwork to rebuild a dormitory severely damaged last week by a natural gas explosion.
The first look at the damage inside provided to local media Thursday reaffirmed earlier descriptions from school officials who likened it to the scene of a major earthquake.
Only eight people suffered minor injuries because the dorm was mostly empty over the long Fourth of July weekend. But Argenta Hall is expected to remain closed for more than a year.
Tables and floors of the first-floor cafeteria remain littered with glass below gaping holes in the walls ripped open by the July 5 blast. But at the salad bar, serving spoons are still poking upright in the dressing near a row of bagels.