Authorities in Canada are investigating what led to the death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee who was found inside a walk-in oven in the store’s bakery department.
The Halifax Police Department released a statement regarding the Oct. 19 incident inside the Canadian Walmart store.
Officers were called to the store, located at 6990 Mumford Road in Halifax, around 9:30 p.m. to investigate the sudden death of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found inside the large walk-in oven.
Officials said that they have not yet reached a point where the cause and manner of death have been confirmed.
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“The investigation is complex and involves several partner agencies. An investigation of this nature may take a significant amount of time,” the Halifax Police Department said in a statement.
The woman’s identity has not been released. However, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) first reported that the woman was a member of the local Sikh community.
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A spokesperson from Walmart sent a statement to the CBC stating that the store is “temporarily closed as we co-operate fully with the investigation.”
The company added that it was also providing access to 24/7 virtual care to employees and providing on-site support, including grief counseling.
Balbir Singh, the secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, told the CBC on Tuesday that the society has been in touch with the mother of the 19-year-old victim and learned that the woman and her mother are originally from India and came to Canada two to three years ago.
“It’s a really tragic incident and everybody is deeply hurt by this, and we are waiting for the police investigation to come out,” said Singh. “We would like to know what happened to this young woman.”
Police are encouraging the public to be mindful of opinions circulating about the investigation.
“We urge the public to be mindful of sharing speculative information on social media. Please be aware of the impacts that speculation could have on family, colleagues and loved ones of the woman,” police said.
