Indian-Canadian teenager identified as victim of tragic WalMart incident | World News

The tragedy occurred on October 19 in a store in Halifax, the capital of the province of Nova Scotia. In a statement, Halifax police said: “The woman, an employee of the store, was in a large walk-in oven belonging to the bakery section of the store.”

Local media reported that her burned remains were discovered by her mother, who was also employed at the same store. Kaur and her mother, originally from Ludhiana, had moved to Canada from the UK three years earlier. They found jobs at the store about two years ago.

An online fundraiser organized by the Maritime Sikh Society Executive described her as “a young, beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams.”

It also outlined the tragic sequence of events that led to the discovery of the body. That evening her mother tried to find her after not seeing her for an hour and her phone was unreachable. Other store employees “brushed aside” her concerns and suggested she might be somewhere helping a customer at the supermarket.

However, her mother “panicked as it was unusual for her to turn off her phone during the day.” She asked local administrators for help. Hours later, she was found in the bakery's oven by employees, including her mother. “Imagine the horror her mother experienced when she opened the oven,” the fundraiser said.

As of Thursday evening, over CA$164,000 had already been raised.

These funds will be used for the surviving family, including to arrange a visa for her father to enter Canada. Her brother also lives in India.

The society's president, Harjit Singh Seyan, told Hindustan Times that both the mother and the victim were regulars at their gurdwara in Halifax. “The community is shocked. This is quite disturbing and tragic news,” he said.

He added that the community rallied around the family. “We are trying to provide all moral and financial support,” he said. They have also provided psychological support for their family and friends.

Halifax police are investigating the “sudden death.” However, a press release said: “It is important to note that the investigation has not yet reached the point where the cause and manner of death have been confirmed.”