Seven people including two housewives on Thursday suffocated to death at a hairdresser’s salon in Rijau town in the Rijau local government area of Niger state.
The deceased was said to have gone to the salon to dress their hair in readiness for the Eid-el Kabir festival. According to eyewitnesses, while the women were waiting for their turn, the rain suddenly started and became so intense that the generator used to power the equipment had to be moved into the salon.
READ ALSO: Niger Delta Students Storm NDDC Headquarters
It was further gathered that despite moving the generator inside, the rain continued to disturb the hairdresser and her customers resulting in the door to the salon being closed.
Findings showed that the generator worked for several hours until it ran out of fuel.
According to reports, relations of the hairdresser and her customers mounted a search for them when they did not return home after a very long time.
One of the relations was reported to have suggested that the door to the salon should be forced open to find out whether it was there they went to dress their hair.
The eyewitness said on opening the door of the salon, the lifeless bodies of the women were found on the ground though two of them were still breathing.
A top official of the Rijau local government council who was invited to the scene refused to give a directive that the two women who were unconscious should be taken to the hospital unless the Council Chairman came to see things for himself.
However good Samaritans and a top traditional ruler in the town ignored the order of the local government official and started rushing the unconscious women to the Tunga- Magajiya hospital but the duo died before they could receive medical attention.
The remains of the deceased were later released to their relations for burial according to Muslim rites.
Niger State Police Command Public Relations Officer ASP Wasiu Abioun when contacted confirmed the incident but did not give details.
.
Abiodun said the investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of the women had commenced.
