19-year-old employee burned to death inside Walmart Canada oven
A 19-year-old employee named Gursimran Kaur was found burnt to death inside a walk-in oven at a Walmart superstore in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on 19 Oct.
The tragic discovery was made by her mother, who also worked in the establishment.
Ms Kaur’s mother regularly checked on her daughter during their shifts together.
The two have been working at the Walmart store for two years.
Coworker saw leakage coming from the oven
After not seeing the teen for one hour that evening, Ms Kaur’s mother began asking around for her and calling her phone, but to no avail.
“[Her] mother started panicking as it was unusual for her to switch her phone off during the day,” wrote the organisation Maritime Sikh Society which is organising a fundraiser on the family’s behalf.
Ms Kaur’s mum reached out to the onsite admin for help while another staff member notified them of a “leakage” coming from the oven hours later.
Source: @chrisbreezie559 on TikTok
The mother then opened the oven door and found her daughter’s body inside.
Police urge public to avoid speculations
According to Halifax Regional Police, they were called to the Walmart store at 9.30pm and found the teen’s body in a “large walk-in oven belonging to the store’s bakery department”.
As of 22 Oct, the police said the investigation has not reached a point where they have confirmed the cause and manner of Ms Kaur’s death.
According to them, the investigation is “complex”, involving several agencies, and “may take a significant amount of time”.
The police also urged the public to avoid sharing speculations on social media as it could impact the victim’s family, colleagues, and loved ones.
Walmart employees say door can’t accidentally lock
Despite this, several Walmart employees have weighed in on the incident since the news broke.
On TikTok, @chrisbreezie559 showed a similar walk-in oven to what is in the Halifax Walmart superstore and said it cannot be locked accidentally without putting pressure on the door from the outside, leading people to speculate it was a murder.
She also pointed out that there is an emergency latch inside the oven, adding that there were no tasks that required a person to enter the oven.
Another employee named Mary also made a Tiktok video demonstrating how the heavy oven door could not close unless one made an effort to push it until it clicked in place.
She also showed that she could free herself even if she was inside if it closed.
Source: @teaallonme on TikTok
“I’m not trying to theorize or form a conspiracy,” Mary explained. “It’s just hard to wrap my head around it when Walmart’s bakery ovens are so safe to use.”
Moreover, netizens questioned whether no one saw or heard Ms Kaur inside the oven and whether cameras did not capture the incident.
Halifax Walmart closed until further notice
Meanwhile, a Walmart spokesperson told NBC News on 23 Oct that the store is closed until further notice.
Source: New York Post
“We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family,” they said. “Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need.”
The Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration also issued a stop-work order for the bakery and a piece of equipment at the store, which has since been lifted.
Also read: Blind parents in India unaware their son died, lived with his body for 4 days
Blind parents in India unaware their son died, lived with his body for 4 days
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Featured image adapted from New York Post, @chrisbreezie559 on TikTok
