It’s been almost seven decades since the worst train derailment in Jamaica claimed the lives of 187 passengers headed to Kingston after a church outing.
Sept. 1, 1957, was the actual disaster date, and 68 years later, the government of the island agreed to erect a monument to honor the victims of the horrific Kendal crash.
Olivia Grange, the island’s Parliamentarian responsible for deciding issues related to the matter, recently called a press conference in the capital city of Kingston to announce a permanent and belated memorial. Although the minister of culture, gender, entertainment, and sport stopped short of revealing the deadline for completion, her office, in collaboration with Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, said that going forward, a Sept. 1 day of remembrance will commemorate the Manchester train tragedy.
Reportedly, of 1600 passengers aboard a diesel-run, cross-island commuter railroad that Sunday, individuals returning from a church picnic were killed when disconnection between the train and the rail created the worst accident on the island.
A Daily Gleaner news item at the time attributed overcrowding as the cause of the tragedy.
Queens resident Habte Selassie said he was either 8 or 9 when he heard neighbors lament the horrendous event.
A resident of his Sheffield Road community was reported a casualty of the wreck.
“I don’t remember his last name, but George worked for the railroad, and his name was listed among the dead, Selassie explained, “Afterwards, we found out his life was spared.”
“Some people said more people would have died if the fare and the religious day had not impeded the excursion,“ Selassie said.
Others, he said, blamed the fact that the accident occurred on a Sunday when “people should have been in church.“
And still more speculated, “the engineer didn’t slow down when he approached a corner.”
What Selassie said he remembered most were the “duppy“ stories that followed.
According to WBAI-FM radio host of a Saturday morning program named “Labbrish,” folklore and superstition seemed to overwhelm conversations throughout the landscape.
Adults spoke of passengers they knew who succumbed. The country seemed most distressed by the loss of children.
Reportedly, many victims were buried in mass graves near the site.
And while the accident left citizens aggrieved by the worst train tragedy recorded in Selassie’s lifetime, another 700 nationals were left maimed and disfigured.
In 2017, Jamaica mounted an exhibition at the National Library.
“Lives Derailed: The 60th Anniversary of the Kendal Crash in Jamaica“ displayed the horrors of the worst rail accident.
“Kendal crash was an outing we’ll never forget.”
Byron Lee Musician Keith Lyn Leaves “Empty Chair”
Jamaicans are grieving the death of another legendary contributor to the island’s music industry. Sadly, Keith Lyn’s name adds to the toll of 2025 departures.
The former musician who won acclaim performing with Byron Lee & The Dragonaires died in Miami, Florida, on Feb. 24 at age 88.
Reportedly, Lyn joined the popular band in 1963.
Soon after, he made his international debut with the group at the World’s Fair in Queens. That appearance indelibly imprinted historical significance that resonated with a delegation that included guitarist Ernie Ranglin, ska singers Prince Buster and Eric “Monty“ Morris, reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, and other ambassadors representing the newly independent nation.
Lyn migrated to Florida in 1978 after leaving the group.
Reportedly, he returned to Jamaica four years later.
In 2020, he was conferred with national honors and bestowed the coveted Order of Distinction. Lyn is survived by brothers and sisters, six children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Some of his hits included.
“Empty Chair,“ “Portrait of My Love,” “Ska, Ska,” and “Julie on My Mind.“
Catch You On the Inside!
