The pressure in the natural gas pipelines prior to a series of explosions and fires in Massachusetts last week that killed one person and injured more than two dozen was 12 times higher than it should have been.

This information was part of a letter from the state's senators to the leadership of Columbia Gas and its parent company, NiSource in which the senators are asking for answers to a number of questions regarding the accident. The letter refers to the PHMSE, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The government agency stets that "the pressure in the system should have been around 0.5 pounds per square inch, but readings in the area reached at least 6 PSI."

Columbia Gas President Stephen Bryant announced Tuesday at a news conference that the company is donating $10 million to a relief fund to assist the affected communities with food, housing and other immediate needs as they recover from the explosions and fires.