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Sikh woman dies in Walmart Canada workplace incident
The woman was found in a large commercial oven in the bakery department.
The Maritime Sikh Society expressed deep sorrow over the loss. / CBS
A Sikh woman, aged 19, tragically died while working at a Walmart in Halifax Canada's west end on Oct.19 night, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) reported. Halifax Regional Police are investigating the sudden death, which occurred at around 9:30 p.m. local time.
Authorities are working with the provincial Labour Department and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death. Constable Martin Cromwell said that the investigation is still in its early stages and complex, declining to provide further details. "We just want to encourage the public to be patient with our investigation and be mindful that there are family members and co-workers involved," Cromwell said.
Sources told CBC that the woman was found in a large commercial oven in the bakery department. However, police have not confirmed the cause or manner of her death, and no criminal intent has been suggested at this time. The name of the victim has not been released.
The Maritime Sikh Society expressed deep sorrow over the loss. Satnam Singh Randhawa, chair of the board, remarked, "It's pretty distressing, you know, young people come here with all kinds of hopes and dreams and they're working hard, and then this is what happens."
Balbir Singh, secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, shared that the victim had immigrated from India with her mother two to three years ago. "It's a really tragic incident, and everybody is deeply hurt by this," Singh said. Efforts are being made to bring other family members from India, and once the body is released, a religious service will be held.
Walmart has temporarily closed the store as the investigation continues. Amanda Moss, a Walmart spokesperson, extended condolences to the victim’s family and announced that employees would continue to be paid during the closure. Grief counseling and 24/7 virtual care are also being offered to staff. "We are heartbroken, and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family," Moss said.
A stop-work order was issued for the bakery by the Labour Department on Oct.22, and the investigation into the workplace death is ongoing. Halifax police and other agencies are expected to release further details in due course.
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