Several students were rescued last night from dormitories at Tennessee’s Union University that were destroyed by a violent storm, The Jackson Sun, a local newspaper, reported this morning. According to conflicting news reports, eight to 13 students had been trapped in two dorms.

A university spokesman said 51 students had been taken to the hospital, nine with serious injuries. None of the injuries were life-threatening, he said.

The university, located in Jackson, Tenn., was hit by a storm system that included tornadoes and killed 44 people across the South, according to the Associated Press. It was not immediately known if the campus had been struck by a twister.

The American Red Cross is providing shelter for displaced students at Union, and classes have been canceled through February 13. —Beckie Supiano