Sikh community rallies around family of Walmart teen worker found dead in bakery oven

The Sikh community in Halifax, Canada, is supporting the family of Gursimran Kaur, a 19-year-old Walmart employee who was tragically found dead in the store’s walk-in bakery oven on Oct. 19.

What happened: Kaur, who immigrated from India with her mother two years ago, was discovered by her mother, who was also on shift at Walmart that night, after she became concerned when Kaur was missing for over an hour. The cause of Kaur’s death is still under investigation. However, a 911 dispatch recording from the Halifax Regional Fire Department, which circulated on social media and was reported by the Daily Mail, revealed that staff at Walmart had reported a female being locked inside an active oven and were unable to turn it off. According to the recording, firefighters arriving at the scene found that the person was already “out of the oven upon arrival,” leading to further questions.
Community support: The Halifax Maritime Sikh Society has organized efforts to support the family, including raising nearly 200,000 Canadian dollars ($144,000) through a GoFundMe page to help bring Kaur’s father and 10-year-old brother from India. “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.As police have stated, this is a very complex matter and the investigation is ongoing,” a Walmart spokesperson told NBC News. The corporation has temporarily closed the Halifax store and is cooperating with authorities.

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