The GoFundMe was set up for the family of a young woman found dead in a walk-in oven in a Walmart in Halifax suspended their donations after the amount quadrupled the initial request.

The objective for the GoFundMe The campaign was worth $50,000, and as of Friday it reached just under $200,000, climbing to $194,949, before being deactivated.

The executive committee of the Maritime Sikh Society, the organizer of the GoFundMe, has disabled donations “as we begin the process of distributing funds to the family.”

The fundraiser was organized to provide financial support to the family of 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur, who was identified by the company with her mother’s permission. The funds would cover funeral costs and bring home Kaur’s loved ones, such as her father and brother, who live in India.

“We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated to support Gursimran Kaur’s family during this unimaginable time,” an organizer wrote on the page. “Your contributions will help them in their next steps, and we cannot thank you enough for standing by their side during this painful time.” »

The update stated that the initial goal was reached in just 10 hours.

Both mother and daughter are part of the Sikh community and had worked at the Walmart store on Mumford Road in west Halifax for about two years.

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It was her mother, according to the company, who found Kaur in the store’s bakery section while the store was still open on the night of October 19. Halifax Regional Police confirmed that The victim’s body was found in a walk-in oven.

Halifax Regional Police have remained tight-lipped about the details of the incident and have not released much information about the investigation.

Asked Friday if police would release more details, nearly six days after the incident, a spokesperson said “we have no updates to provide at this time.”

Nova Scotia’s medical examiner is working to determine the cause of death, which has not yet been released.

Walk-in ovens, also called cabinet or batch ovens, allow curing, drying or baking in batches using racks or rolling carts. They are often found in high volume bakeries, supermarkets and big box stores.

2:00 p.m.
Walmart worker dies: His mother was one of those who found woman dead in oven, Sikh Society says

In the meantime, the store remains closed to the public. Walmart Canada did not provide a possible date or timeline for reopening, again noting Friday to Global News that the the store will be closed until further notice.

A spokesperson for the big box store told Global News earlier this week that associates who had scheduled shifts while the store was closed would be paid. The spokesperson added that they “will consider alternative working arrangements in the event that the store remains closed for a longer period than expected.”

According to the Maritime Sikh Society, Kaur and her mother had moved to Canada from the United Kingdom within the past three years and were originally from India.

— With files from Rebecca Lau of Global News

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Family of Walmart worker found dead in bakery oven received support from Nova Scotia Sikh Society

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