A 19-year-old Indian girl was found burnt to death in a walk-in oven at a Walmart in Halifax on October 19. The body of Gursimran Kaur was discovered in the bakery section of the store. Her mother, who was also employed at Walmart, lost contact with her for about an hour before eventually finding her charred remains inside the oven.
Who Was Gursimran Kaur?
Nineteen-year-old Gursimran Kaur moved to Canada with “big dreams” of a bright future.
She worked at Walmart for two years alongside her mother. Her father and brother currently live in India, and efforts are underway to bring them to Canada.
A GoFundMe campaign was set up by the Maritime Sikh Society Executive to support Ms Kaur’s family. Till now, it has raised over Rs 1.1 crore.
The organisation, in an update, wrote, “We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated to support Gursimran Kaur’s family during this unimaginable time. Your kindness and generosity have been a source of strength for the family as they navigate through this tragedy.”
“Your contributions will help them in their next steps, and we cannot thank you enough for standing with them during this painful period,” they added.
Walk-in ovens, essential for large-scale bakeries, are designed to dry, bake, or cure products in batches on wheeled racks. Authorities are thoroughly examining the oven as part of their inquiry into Ms Kaur’s death. First responders were dispatched to Walmart around 9:30 PM on October 19 after receiving reports of a “sudden death.”
Since that evening, the store has remained closed and the company is reportedly providing grief counselling to its employees, reported the Canadian Express.