Walmart employee finds her own daughter, 19, 'baked to death' inside walk-in oven

The charred remains of a employee who "baked to death" in the store's walk-in oven were discovered by her mum who worked at the same store.

Gursimran Kaur, 19, was found burned to death in the bakery oven at a branch in Halifax, , on October 19. A page launched to support her family revealed that Gursimran's own mother had walked in to find the teenager's charred remains after she was unable reach her by phone.

"Imagine the horror that her mother experienced when she opened the oven", the fundraiser, organised by a local Sikh society, said. Gursimran and her mother had worked at the branch for two years before the 19-year-old suddenly on one of her shifts.

Knowing it was unusual for her daughter to turn off her phone during the day, Gursimran's panicked mum reached out to the onsite admin for help. But just hours later, the teenager's remains were found inside the walk-in oven. Police have now launched an investigation into the case but said they had not yet confirmed the cause and manner of death.

The GoFundMe page has so far raised more than C$194,000 (£108,000) for Gursimran's family, far exceeding the original target of C$50,000. Some of the funds are being used to bring Gursimran's father and brother, who are both in India, to Canada as soon as possible, the page said. It added: "This family's sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this horrific time."

Halifax Police confirmed that a 19-year-old had been found inside a "large walk-in oven belonging to the store's bakery department". The force said the investigation was complex, adding: "It is important to note that the investigation has not yet reached a point where the cause and manner of death have been confirmed."

Walmart's Halifax branch closed down following the horror discovery. A spokesperson said: "We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family. Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need."

The supermarket giant also said it would be providing staff with access to 24/7 virtual care and on-site support, including grief counselling.