Authorities are investigating after a 19-year-old Walmart employee was found dead on Saturday evening inside a walk-in oven at a store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to Halifax Regional Police.
According to a GoFundMe fundraiser initiated by the Maritime Sikh Society Executive in Halifax, 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur was found dead in the bakery department of a Walmart located at 6990 Mumford Road.
According to details shared on the GoFundMe page to support those impacted by the loss, the teenager’s death has been devastating for her family, who are originally from India. Both Kaur and her mother had worked at Walmart for two years, the society said, noting they had received the family’s permission to share details of the incident.
The society wrote that on the night of her death, Kaur’s mother became concerned when she couldn’t find her daughter and the teenager wasn’t answering her phone, which her mother said was unusual during work hours. Kaur’s remains were later found inside the oven.
Kaur’s death is being investigated by Halifax Regional Police in collaboration with Occupational Health and Safety and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, according to an Oct. 21 press release. The police have not yet confirmed the cause and manner of death as the investigation is “complex and involves several partner agencies,” they said in an update on Oct. 22.
Authorities have urged the public to refrain from speculation on social media.
“Please be aware of the impacts that speculation could have on family, colleagues, and loved ones of the woman,” they wrote in the latest update.
The GoFundMe campaign had raised almost CA$195,000 ($140,000) by Oct. 25—exceeding its original goal of CA$50,000 ($36,000) within 10 hours of its launch. The organizers have disabled new donations to the fundraiser.
“Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support, target was achieved within 10 hours,” the Maritime Sikh Society wrote. “We are receiving calls and messages from all over the world from people wanting to help.”
They said efforts are being made to bring Kaur’s father and brother from India to Canada as soon as possible to be with their grieving family.
Sarah MacNeil, communications adviser for the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills, and Immigration, confirmed in an email to NTD that a stop work order was issued on Oct. 22 for the bakery and one piece of equipment at the Walmart location where Kaur worked. “Our sympathies go out to the family, and we extend our sincere condolences to them as they mourn their loss,” MacNeil wrote.