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Teenage Walmart employee found dead in oven by mother: fundraiser
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Teenage Walmart employee found dead in oven by mother: fundraiser

  • Gursimran Kaur has been identified by the Maritime Sikh Society of Canada as the Walmart worker found dead in a walk-in oven over the weekend
  • “This fundraiser began with the permission of the immediate family and all proceeds will go to (Gursimran’s) mother,” the organization’s secretary tells PEOPLE
  • A GoFundMe campaign launched on behalf of Kaur's family has raised over $140,000 (C$194,000).

The 19-year-old Walmart worker found dead in a walk-in oven at a store in Canada has been identified.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a member of the Maritime Sikh Society confirmed that the victim was Gursimran Kaur, an immigrant from India. The organization has set up a GoFundMe in Kaur's family's name.

“We are a Sikh Gurdwara, the largest in the Atlantic provinces of Canada,” Balbir Singh, a secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, tells PEOPLE. “This fundraiser began with the permission of the immediate family and all proceeds will go to (Gursimran’s) mother.”

The woman, who worked at the store on Mumford Road in Halifax, was found in the bakery's oven on the night of Saturday, Oct. 19, according to two news releases from Halifax Regional Police.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Satnam Singh Randhawa, chief executive of the Maritime Sikh Society, previously confirmed that the woman was a member of the Sikh community.

According to the GoFundMe, Kaur — who was described as “a young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams” — and her mother had worked at the Walmart store for two years.

On the night of October 19, her mother allegedly tried to find her daughter after not seeing her for about an hour. She became increasingly concerned when Kaur's phone was unreachable, which GFM organizers said was unusual since Kaur usually had her phone on during the day. The organization then claimed her mother eventually discovered her in the oven.

Police have not said how the woman got into the oven. Constable Martin Cromwell told PEOPLE on Friday, October 25, that the investigation is “complex” and “we are unable to provide any updates at this time.”

A Walmart spokesman declined to comment on whether “the woman was on shift when she died,” according to The Canadian Press.

“The suffering of this family is unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this terrible time,” the fundraiser description reads, adding that all donations will go to the family. As of Friday, October 25, the campaign has raised over $140,000 (C$194,000) and is no longer accepting donations.

The GoFundMe also stated that Kaur's father and brother are currently in India and efforts are being made to fly them to Canada immediately.

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In a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, October 23, Walmart spokeswoman Amanda Moss said employees were “heartbroken” and announced the store was closed “until further notice.”

“Our deepest thoughts go out to our employee and his family,” Moss said. “We remain focused on looking after our employees and ensuring they receive the support they need. As police have explained, this is a very complex matter and investigations are ongoing.”

According to audio recording of emergency responders who responded to the tragedy released by The Daily MailA dispatcher described the incident as a “technical rescue call.”

“The woman is locked in an oven in the bakery, the oven is on, she doesn't know if the staff can turn it off,” the dispatcher said in the audio.

A short time later, another officer said that “the individual was out of the oven when he arrived” and the matter was being handled by regional police.

According to the police, investigations into the woman's death are currently underway. Police urged the public to “pay attention to the sharing of speculative information on social media.”

PEOPLE has requested copies of the first responder audio in connection with the investigation.

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