Massachusetts gas company to serve Thanksgiving dinner to thousands displaced after explosions

A gas company in Massachusetts has said it will serve Thanksgiving Dinner to the thousands of people who were displaced after a string of gas explosions rocked dozens of homes in September.

Columbia Gas Massachusetts announced on Twitter that it will provide meals to the communities of Andover, North Andover and Lawrence.

{mosads}The company said that as of Sunday, 3,700 meals had been reserved, and it plans to serve up to 20,000 meals, according to local ABC-affiliate WCVB.

Recipients will be able to pick up the meals or dine with other community members. About 7,500 people are currently in temporary housing, according to WCVB, with many being housed in trailer parks.

Dozens of homes caught fire in September after the gas explosion, which killed one person and injured about two dozen others.

An official report found that the gas explosion that triggered the fires was a result of over-pressurization. Columbia Gas hopes to restore service by mid-December, according to WCVB.