A WALMART store where an employee burned to death inside a walk-in oven has shared a major update three months after the tragedy.
Gursimran Kaur, 19, was found dead by her mom last October at a store in eastern Canada.
The teenager’s remains were discovered inside an oven in Walmart’s bakery department in Halifax, Nova Scotia after her mother had tried to call her.
According to a GoFundMe, Gursimran had been working at the store with her mom, who was frantically looking for her daughter since she hadn’t been seen on the floor for an hour.
The incident raised questions and worries among Walmart staff, who were puzzled about how a team member could have been stuck for several hours without anyone realizing.
The organizer of the GoFundMe said, “The family’s sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable.
“Gursimran Kaur was only 19 years old, a young beautiful girl who came to Canada [from India] with big dreams.”
In a major update, the Coast Reporter said that the Walmart store has now reopened more than three months after the teen was found dead.
The Mumford Road location had been closed after her horrific death on October 19, and welcomed shoppers back on February 4.
“We’ve reopened our store and welcomed our associates back following a full renovation,” a Walmart Canada official said in a brief statement.
Senior manager of corporate affairs, Stephanie Fusco, included that the store had gone through a significant makeover as a component of the company’s extensive renovation initiative.
The bakery area has been moved to the front of the store.
The oven in which Gursimran died has been replaced.
There has been a mixed response from local residents, with some concerned that it has reopened at all, and some are still confused about what happened, while others are delighted with the store’s refreshed look.
One man shared several photos of the store’s interior on social media, and said, “For all those who have not yet been there, here is the renovated Halifax Walmart. Well worth the visit. Excellent.”
Another shopper wrote, “I was in there today, the store is absolutely stunning, they did such a great job, it’s giving superstore vibes.”
But there was also sympathy for the grieving mom and her family, with one writing, “I just want to know what happened to that girl” while another said it “should have been torn down.”
There was concern, too, about safety measures at the store, following the incident.
Walmart Canada’s statement on the reopening of its store in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Walmart Canada’s corporate affairs manager Nick Ritcey said, “It’s great to have our customers and our associates back in the store.
“Obviously the tragedy is still top of mind and it’s something that will be sad forever.
“Three months is still very recent for that magnitude of a tragedy.
“We’ll continue to be in contact [with the family] and make sure that we work out the best situation possible with them.”
Last November, police ruled out foul play in Gursimran’s death.
However, it’s not clear how she became trapped in the industrial oven.
Halifax Regional Police said in a statement, “The police investigation determined the death is not suspicious and there is no evidence of foul play.
“The family asks the public to respect their privacy and the dignity and memory of their loved one as they receive this news.”
“The investigation is complex,” Constable Martin Cromwell had previously told CBC News.
“We just want to encourage the public to be patient with our investigation and be mindful that there is family members and co-workers involved.”
Police had been called to the Walmart at around 9:30 pm on a Saturday after receiving reports about a female “locked inside an oven in the bakery.”
The dispatcher told responding officers the oven was still on but was “unsure if the staff are able to turn it off.”
When officers arrived at the scene, Gursimran was out of the oven but was declared dead.
A Walmart Canada spokesperson previously told The U.S. Sun the company was heartbroken by the employee’s tragic death.
“We’re supporting our associates during this incredibly difficult time and have provided access to 24/7 virtual care and will provide on-site support, including grief counseling,” the spokesperson said.
“Our store is temporarily closed. We are cooperating with authorities during their investigation.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted Walmart for comment.
Gursimran and her mother had moved to Canada from India several years ago, according to the Maritime Sikh Society.
On the GoFundMe page – which raised $194,449 and is closed to further donations – it said, “On Oct 19th, the fateful Saturday night, she was found burned to death in the walk-in oven at Walmart Bakery.
“Gursimran and her mother both worked at Walmart for the last two years.
“In that evening, like any watchful mother who breathed for her child’s happiness, Gursimran’s mother tried to locate her after not seeing for one hour.
“She asked around, but everyone brushed aside thinking that she may be somewhere helping a customer.”
It added, “Mother started panicking as it was unusual for her to switch her phone off during the day.
“As you all know now, her remains were found inside the walk in oven in the Bakery after a few hours.
“Imagine the horror that her mother experienced when she opened the oven, when someone pointed it out to her!”
In late October, the fundraiser thanked supporters for their “kindness and generosity” which “have been a source of strength for the family as they navigate through this tragedy.”
