Announcements were made through the public address system of the local gurudwara. Within minutes, the locals were joined by people from the nearby villages -- Daudpur and Libra. Even before Railway officials could arrive, tractor trolleys had reached the site to transport the injured to the hospitals.

Munish, a Lucknow University student on his way back home from a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi, said: ``I and my classmates want to salute the human spirit of the Punjabi villagers.''

As it was slightly cold, the villagers also made arrangements for lighting small fires to comfort those passengers who were waiting for their kith and kin to be extricated.

The villagers took survivors to their homes. Many were provided with food and bedding in the gurudwara. A couple of blind beggars were pulled out by a group of youngvillage boys. A passenger, who was caught in a damaged coach of the Frontier Mail, was provided tea and eatables inside the coach. Waiting for gas cutters to arrive, the injured passenger held on to the hand of a villager, pleading with him to stay on till the Railway engineers rescued him. The villager, of course, kept him company.

Om Parkash, another student, said that while officials were still assessing damage and relief measures, villagers made available mobile phones for the injured to contact their relatives back home.

Even political parties pitched in. The volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) lent a helping hand to the relief operations. The Congress volunteers took upon themselves the responsibility of those admitted to the Khanna civil hospital.

The Principal of a local college mobilised students to donate blood.

A langar (community feast) was organised for the survivors and relief and rescue workers. An official said that he had to send back many drums of milk sent bypanchayats of the neighbouring villages.