Police say they are investigating the tragic death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee who was discovered dead inside a walk-in bakery oven at the store.
The incident occurred at a Walmart in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with officers responding to a call which said the teenager was trapped inside the oven, which was turned on, on Saturday night. By the time first responders arrived on the scene, they told dispatch the woman “was out of the oven”.
She died at the scene. In an update on Tuesday Halifax Regional Police said: “The woman, who was an employee of the store, was located in a large walk-in oven belonging to the store’s bakery department.”
As of Tuesday, the cause and manner of death remain undetermined, with the police describing the investigation as “complex.”
(Image: Daily Mail WS)
Authorities added: “An investigation of this nature may take a significant amount of time.”
Halifax Regional Police said their investigators are working with Occupational Health and Safety and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service to determine the cause and manner of death.
In light of the ongoing investigation, the Walmart store has been temporarily closed until further notice, a spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.
“We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family,” Walmart spokesperson, Amanda Moss, said in a statement to ABC News. “Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need.”
Walmart is providing on-site support for its employees, including grief counselling, as well as access to virtual care, Moss further explained in a statement to ABC News partner CTV News.
On Tuesday, the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration issued a stop work order for the bakery and a piece of equipment at the Walmart store.
The department stated: “As this is an active investigation, we cannot release further details at this time,” and noted that workplace investigations “are complex and can take time.”
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