Halifax Regional Police are investigating the sudden death of a 19-year-old woman while she was working at a Walmart in the city's West End.

Police said they were called to the store around 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday evening and found the woman dead.

Investigators are now trying to determine how the employee died and are working closely with the provincial labor department and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner, police said in a news release Monday.

Police have not said whether they believe the circumstances of the woman's death were criminal in nature.

Const. Martin Cromwell spoke to reporters Monday afternoon and declined to provide further details beyond saying the investigation is still at an early stage. He wouldn't say where in the store the woman died.

“The investigation is complex,” he said. “We would just encourage the public to be patient with our investigation and to ensure that family members and colleagues are involved.”

He said the Mumford Road store was open to customers when police were called but then closed. The store remained closed on Monday.

Satnam Singh Randhawa, chief executive officer of the Maritime Sikh Society, said the woman was a member of the Sikh community.

“It's quite disturbing, you know, young people come here with all sorts of hopes and dreams and work hard and then this happens,” he said.

Walmart spokeswoman Amanda Moss said the company is offering employees 24/7 access to virtual care and on-site support, including grief counseling. She did not say when the store would reopen and did not provide any further information about the employee.

“We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our employee and his family,” Moss said in a statement to CBC News. “We extend our sincere condolences to those who were closest to them.”

In a statement to CBC News later Monday, Cromwell said while a forensic identification unit was on site, other police investigators and agencies were not allowed access to the area “to preserve the integrity of the crime scene and its evidence.”

“Once this work is completed, HRP investigators and other agencies such as (Occupational Safety and Health) will have access,” Cromwell added.

The Labor Ministry said Sunday it was aware of the situation and said police were in control of the scene. On Monday, the department declined an interview request.

“We are not in a position to share any further information at this time,” the department told CBC News, adding that it expressed its condolences to the employee's family.

Police first issued a news release late Saturday evening asking people to stay away from the area while the investigation was underway.

A police vehicle remained parked outside the store Monday morning.