South Asian woman who died in bakery oven in Nova Scotia’s Halifax Walmart found by her mom

A GoFundMe campaign organized by the Maritime Sikh Society Executive has identified the 19-year-old South Asian woman who died in a bakery oven in a Walmart in Nova Soctia’s Halifax on Saturday, October 19 as Gursimran Kaur, “a young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams.”

The GoFundMe says that both Gursimran and her mother had been working at the Walmart for the last two years. It adds: “In that evening, like any watchful mother who breathes for her child’s happiness, Gursimran’s mother tried to locate her after not seeing for one hour. She asked around, but everyone brushed [her] aside thinking that she may be somewhere helping a customer, Walmart is a superstore after all! Her phone was not reachable. [The] mother started panicking as it was unusual for her to switch her phone off during the day. She reached out to the onsite admin for help.”

“Imagine the horror that her mother experienced who herself opened the oven,” it goes on to say. It adds that they cannot share the details as there is an ongoing police investigation.

The GoFundMe states: “Both Gursimran’s father and brother are in India and we are trying to get them here as soon as possible. This family’s sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this horrific time. Please donate to help this family in this difficult time. The entirety of the funds will directly benefit the bereaved family. The details shared here are provided and consented by the family.”

The fund had raised more than $130,000 by Thursday morning.

Halifax Regional Police had said on Tuesday: “It is important to note that the investigation has not yet reached a point where the cause and manner of death have been confirmed.”

They added: “The investigation is complex and involves several partner agencies. An investigation of this nature may take a significant amount of time.

“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.”