The 19-year-old Walmart employee found dead in a bakery walk-in oven in Canada has been identified.
Gursimran Kaur was burned to death at the Walmart Bakery location at 6990 Mumford Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 19, according to a GoFundMe created by a Maritime Sikh Society executive.
According to organizers, Kaur and her mother had worked at Walmart for two years. Kaur’s father and brother are in India and are working to get to Canada amid the tragic incident.
Gursimran Kaur, 19, was burned to death Saturday in a walk-in oven at a Canadian Walmart Bakery.
Her mother became worried Saturday when she didn’t see Kaur around the store for an hour and her cell phone was unreachable.
The mother contacted the onsite admin for help in finding Kaur. After a few hours, the mother reportedly opened the oven to find her daughter’s “charred remains.”
“We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family. Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need,” a Walmart spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement.
“As police have stated, this is a very complex matter and the investigation is ongoing.”
The 6990 Mumford Road Walmart location will be closed until further notice. Flowers have been attached to a pole in the store parking lot to honor Kaur.
Gursimran Kaur and her mother worked at Walmart for two years.
A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service told Newsweek in an email, “The Medical Examiners Office is working closely with Halifax Regional Police to determine the cause and manner of the sudden death at the 6990 Mumford Road Walmart. The investigation is in the early stages and no further details are available at this time.”
“It’s pretty distressing, you know, young people come here with all kinds of hopes and dreams and they’re working hard and then this is what happens,” Satnam Singh Randhawa, chair of the Maritime Sikh Society board, told CBC News on Monday.
Newsweek has contacted the Maritime Sikh Society for further comment.
At the time of publication, the GoFundMe has far exceeded its $36,000 goal with 2,500 donations totaling over $66,000.
A Walmart remains closed as a vigil grows outside the taped-off area on October 23 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, following Kaur’s death.
“Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support, the target was achieved within 10 hours” organizers wrote Thursday. “We are receiving calls and messages from all over the world from people wanting to help. Respecting everyone’s sentiment, we will keep the fundraiser open for now.”
Check back for updates on this breaking new story.
