A FAMILY including a woman pregnant with twins are among dozens of evacuees thanking people for their support after the gas blast in Newark.
Jason Thacker said he and partner Penny Peckham had been "gobsmacked" by the reaction of the community after the blast destroyed a house in Wright Street on Sunday.
The couple, who are expecting twins next month, were among more than 100 people moved out.
Grandfather Leslie Rourke, 71, and his daughter-in-law Jeanette, 40, were killed in the blast. Her husband Nick, 42, was critically injured. His condition in hospital was described as stable and improving yesterday.
About half of the Wright Street residents were back in their homes yesterday morning, and the rest and those living in Private Street were also being allowed back in yesterday afternoon.
Mr Thacker, 36, who lives in Private Street, said: "People have just been walking into the church with donations, big companies have got involved with the effort.
"It's made the whole community pull together. It's fantastic."
He and Penny, 35, and their two-year-old son Jacob have visited the support centre set up at Charles Street Methodist Church after the explosion.
He added: "We do have a good community here but in this day and age you expect people to be out for themselves, but even people who have not been affected by this tragedy have done all they can. It's gobsmacked me.
"I thought this sort of spirit was gone but it's still very much alive."
The family were in their back garden when the explosion ripped through number 28 Wright Street.
Newark and Sherwood District Council said yesterday the houses either side of the blast property will have to be demolished entirely because they are so badly damaged.
Safety checks will be carried out on three more in the row, with the occupants unable to return for several days.
The detail of the devastation was revealed yesterday when emergency services briefly allowed the media escorted access to the blast site.
Karen White, director of safety at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: "It has still not been safe to allow people back into some houses except briefly with escorts. We built up a database of everyone affected and their contact details.
"It's been great to see the community rally round, people have been tremendous."
At the church, tables stacked high with donated food and toiletries line one wall and the foyer was packed with boxes of donated goods.
Volunteers say enough has been given by shops and local families to give every evacuated household a rescue box full of food and cleaning equipment.
Victoria Akin, 32, who lives in Charles Street and has been helping to organise the donations, said: "People have been giving so much. People have just been walking in with goods and cash. Local shops have been giving food. It's been unbelievable."
The church has set up a bank account to take cash donations and a Just Giving web page has also been set up, with the combined total already over £1,000.
Fire and police investigators were still sifting carefully through the rubble yesterday, looking for clues to the exact cause of the blast.
Notts Fire and Rescue Service said the on-scene investigation could continue until Friday, before police prepare files for the coroner, who is expected to hold an inquest.
Donations to help affected families can be made at the church or at www.justgiving.com/local/project/newark-wrightstreet.
