A 19-year-old Walmart employee was found dead inside a walk-in oven on Saturday in Halifax, Canada.
The local police were called to the Walmart at approximately 9:30 p.m., and found the woman deceased inside a large walk-in oven that was part of the store’s bakery department.
Prior to their arrival, an emergency dispatcher had relayed to firefighters that ‘a female worker was locked inside a bakery’s walk-in oven and that it was turned on, with other staff members being unable to turn it off.’
Authorities are currently investigating the case; the official manner and cause of death has not been released. According to the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, the investigation could take a long time as it is ‘complex’ in nature.
‘She Came to Canada With Big Dreams’
The woman, later identified as Gursimran Kaur, had immigrated to Canada from India two years ago with her mother.
According to the Maritime Sikh Society, her mother is still recovering from shock, but has agreed to release details about her daughter in hopes of raising money for her GoFundMe page.
As of Oct. 24, the GoFundMe has raised over $178,000. The funds will be used to bring Kaur’s brother and father from India to Canada for her funeral.
On Saturday, her mother became alarmed after her daughter failed to answer her call during her night shift. Worried about her wellbeing, she eventually made her way to the store’s walk-in oven, where she found her daughter’s body.
Her grieving mother is currently receiving counseling. She also wants answers from Walmart as to how her daughter could die in the store’s walk-in oven without anyone knowing.
A Walmart spokesperson has not commented on the case.
Seeking Justice For Her Daughter
Balbir Singh, the secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, said her mother is currently seeking justice for her daughter.
Simardeep Hundal, who previously led the Sikh organization, also met with the mother following the incident. She was also the one who set up the GoFundMe fundraiser for the family after learning about her daughter’s tragic death.
The incident has since raised many safety questions regarding the workplace.
Assuming that homicide is ruled out, a thorough investigation will need to be carried out regarding the store’s safety practices. It’s currently also unknown whether or not the store had been properly inspected by the Labour Department.
A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Labour Department said they are currently continuing the investigation. She also noted that over the past five years, the Walmart had underwent nine inspections, during which no enforcement action was taken.
The department has also issued a stop-work order for the bakery. Walmart itself also closed the store until further notice.
