An Indian 19-year-old girl found cooked to death inside Walmart Bakery’s oven in Canada has been identified as Gursimran Kaur. Kaur, who had moved to Canada from the UK with her mother within the past three years, was found by her mother inside the store’s bakery department while the store was still open. Halifax regional police have confirmed that the victim’s body was discovered in a walk-in oven.
“We urge the public to be mindful of sharing speculative information on social media,” HRP said in a Tuesday release.
According to a GoFundMe, Kaur, who came to Canada with big dreams, was working along with her mother at Walmart for the last two years.
In the evening of the incident, like any watchful mother tried to locate her after not seeing for one hour. She went on asking people about her daughter’s whereabout but everyone brushed aside thinking that she may be somewhere helping a customer, Walmart is a superstore after all!. Her phone was not reachable.
According to the website, Gursimran’s father and brother are in India and communities are trying to get them here as soon as possible. “This family’s sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this horrific time,” the website reads.
The Maritime Sikh Society has arranged for psychological counselling for those affected and has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for funeral expenses and to bring family members from India for the last rites. The campaign surpassed its $50,000 goal in just 10 hours and has raised nearly $188,975 as of Friday morning (local time).
The investigation into Kaur’s death is ongoing and involves the police, the province’s Labour Department, and the medical examiner’s office. First responders were called to the store around 9:30 pm last Saturday for a report of a “sudden death,” and the store has remained closed since, Global News reported.
Police are still attempting to determine the cause and manner of the young woman’s death, and they have cautioned the public against spreading rumours, especially on social media, as the story gains attention nationally and worldwide.
The province’s labour department has issued a stop-work order for the bakery and “one piece of equipment” at the Walmart store. Walk-in ovens, which are often found in large-volume bakeries such as those in supermarkets and big-box stores, allow for curing, drying, or baking in batches using wheeled racks or carts.
Walmart Canada has expressed their heartbreak over the incident and has directed all further questions to the police. The company is offering 24-7 virtual care and grief counselling to staff and has confirmed that employees will continue to be paid for shifts during the store’s closure. However, if the store remains closed for an extended period, the company will consider “alternate work arrangements” for its employees.