Tragedy occurred in Rijau town of Rijau Local Government area of Niger State, as seven women were suffocated to death as a result of generator fume in a hair dressing salon.
Among them include the proprietor of the hairdressing salon were all suffocated to dead after inhalling the smoke from the generating plant inside the salon shop.
They were found dead right inside her salon.
The victims were said to have gone to the salon in Rijau in preparation for the Eid- Kabir festival the following day Friday, but unknown to them what would befall them few hours to come.
However, the cause of their death remained a mystery, the two women who are married and others unmarried were said to be inside the salon using power generating set on as the town has being without light from the Abuja Electricity Company (AEDC), for some days.
The CAPITAL POST findings in Rijau, revealed that trouble started when the rain started falling and the owner of the salon moved the generating set they were using to power the shop inside the same shop where they were.
It was gathered that they remained inside with the door closed inhalling the fumes coming out of generating set out of eagerness to look beautiful.
Our correspondent was further told that the heavy downpour lasted all through in the evening of the next following day Sallah.
It was further gathered that while five of the women suffocated to death after inhaling the smoke from the generator through the night, two others were still alive as at Friday morning when they were discovered inside the salon shop.
Efforts to rush the two other women who were still alive as at Friday morning to a nearby health facility at Tungan Magajiya was however not successful as a result of lack of mobility as the hospital is said to be without an ambulance.
While the alternative means of evacuating them to a nearby hospital was being considered, it was gathered that the efforts was further frustrated following a resistance to the idea by a top politician in the area who had insisted that the Chairman of the Council, Mallam Bello Bako must be fully in the picture of the sad incident.
In the ensued confusion, argument and indecision between some politicians in the area resulting in protest by the families of the two surviving women, it was gathered, caused undue delay that would have saved the lives of the women.
The swift intervention of the Darlin Bauchi Rijau (the Mornach), Alhaji Mohammed Bello Godiya brought about temporary relief as they were rushed to the hospital but unfutunately gave up the ghost few minutes after they were brought into the hospital.
The bodies of the deceased were said to have been immediately released to their families and relations and have been buried in accordance Islamic injuction.
