A teen girl has been found dead in an operational Walmart oven.
Investigators are currently working to determine how and why she ended up in the heavy appliance.
The 19-year-old girl was discovered inside a bakery oven at a Walmart store in Halifax, Canada. She was an employee of the store, but authorities have not yet released her name.
The mystery is deepening as more details are released in the case.
The teen girl was first discovered in the oven on Saturday evening, according to CTV News. The store is closed indefinitely while police investigate the matter.
The store has so far been shuttered for four days.
“We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family. We extend our sincerest condolences to those who were closest to them,” Walmart representative Amanda Moss said, according to CTV.
She added: “We’re also 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.”
Walmart is also paying employees for their regularly scheduled shifts despite the store closure.
Was this a homicide?
The Canadian Department of Labor, Skills and Immigration is also involved in the ongoing investigation.
Details seem to hint that the teen could not have locked herself in the oven.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the bakery ovens at this Walmart location did not even lock. The oven is a commercial model with enough room for a person to enter.
It has not been confirmed whether the death was a criminal matter or the result of an accident or simple negligence.
The victim is an immigrant and originally from India, according to Balbir Singh, the secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society.
Singh told the CBC that the girl arrived in Canada two or three years ago and expressed frustration that the community has largely been left in the dark due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
“It’s all rumors on social media,” Singh said.
The Maritime Sikh Society member added: “We don’t know the details … there should be something from the police that puts an end to all the rumors.”
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