An investigation was launched following the discovery of a 19-year-old Walmart worker’s body inside a walk-in bakery oven at a Halifax, Nova Scotia Walmart store. This incident led to the store’s temporary closure and the involvement of several agencies in the investigation.
On Saturday evening, October 19, around 9:30 p.m. local time, the Halifax police responded to the Walmart store on Mumford Road following reports of a sudden death. Upon arrival, they found the young female employee dead inside a large walk-in oven in the bakery department.
The deceased was identified as a 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur. Her mother, also a Walmart employee, discovered her burnt remains after searching for her for over an hour.
Kaur was a member of the local Sikh community and had moved from the UK to Canada with her mother two to three years prior. Efforts were being made by the Maritime Sikh Society to bring the victim’s immediate family members from India.
The Halifax Regional Police issued a statement describing the investigation as complex, involving several partner agencies and possibly requiring a significant amount of time.
The Department of Labour, Skills, and Immigration in Nova Scotia issued a stop-work order for the bakery and a piece of equipment at the store. The investigation, involving Occupational Health and Safety and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, aims to ascertain the cause and manner of death.
A Walmart spokesperson expressed the company’s deep sorrow over the incident, stating that they are “heartbroken” and their “deepest thoughts are with our associates and their families.” They further added that their “focus remains on taking care of our associates and providing them with the support they need.”
Walmart offered on-site support services to its employees, including grief counseling and access to virtual care services.
Industrial baking settings commonly use walk-in ovens, often along with specialized product-handling equipment. Although these ovens are referred to as “walk-in,” some models may not provide sufficient space for comfortable entry when filled with equipment and baked goods.
The community has rallied together to set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses and enable family members to travel to the US for final ceremonies. The campaign surpassed its goal of $50,000 within 10 hours and has raised roughly $130,000 so far.
