MANDEVILLE, Jamaica – As a reggae artist who has traveled the world and performed to sold-out audiences, Sister Carol is used to getting an adrenaline rush when she takes the stage. However, nothing compared to the feeling she got at the launch of a monument commemorating one of Jamaica’s greatest tragedies.
That took place on September 11 in Kendal, Manchester parish, central Jamaica. Olivia Grange, minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, unveiled a marker honoring the memory of 177 persons who were killed there in a train crash on September 1, 1957.
Sister Carol, who was born two years later, lost 14 relatives in the horrific incident. They included her grandparents, Peter and Veronica East.
“To attend the Kendal monument unveiling was quite emotional for me. I’m thankful that the government was able to fulfill that promise. I’ve learned about this accident since I was five years-old. My mother told me all about it and how much it devastated the family,” she told South Florida Caribbean News. “All the deceased were my father’s family. His life was a wreck after that day. Losing 14 people from your family in one day is unheard of.”
The Grammy-nominated artist, whose real name is Carole East, attended the ceremony with her cousin, Beverley East who was instrumental in the monument being built.
Grange disclosed that the area, which covers 2.29 acres, will be named a heritage site. It will also house a memorial park and a museum
Like Sister Carol, the monument is personal for her.
“I lost relatives on that crash and I get goosebumps every time I think of it, because I was scheduled to be on that train,” she said. “My mother was the village dressmaker, so she was busy sewing for everybody and she ran late and we did not make the train. So, today I am alive and my mother lived to age 92. I think we were here for a purpose, as here I am to be a part of this occasion.”
The train was taking passengers from Montego Bay to Kingston when it derailed approaching the Kendal stop. Approximately 177 of them died, while more than 700 were injured.
