Students picking up the pieces after dorm explosion

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Students who lived at a University of Nevada, Reno, dormitory building that was heavily damaged by an explosion tried to pick up the pieces this weekend even as they prepared for exams.

Emma Spingler, 19, told the Reno Gazette Journal she was missing things like her study notes, laptops and clothing left behind when she fled the building on Friday.

"I haven't gotten any of my stuff, and I don't know if I ever will," Spingler, 19, said. "I have one week left of classes, and I have three exams, but I don't have my notes or my computer or anything."

She and other students have been moved into rooms at a nearby residence hall.

Spingler and her roommate said they were each given a bed, a pillow, a thin blanket and a toothbrush.

Officials have said a mechanical failure is suspected, but the exact cause remains under investigation. Eight people suffered minor injuries in the explosion.

University executive vice president Kevin Carman said search and rescue crews have been working on a plan to let students retrieve necessary items.

"They really have been working around the clock to get these essential belongings back to the students and give to them what they need to get their lives back in order," he said.

The university has said on social media that about 200 students were displaced by the explosion.