A teenage Walmart employee was tragically found dead inside a walk-in bakery oven inside of a store.
The incident occurred on Saturday night at a store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Halifax Regional Police confirmed Tuesday that an investigation is underway.
"The woman, who was an employee of the store, was located in a large walk-in oven belonging to the store's bakery department," police said in a statement.
Emergency services were called to the Walmart after the employee was found, but it remains unclear how long she had been inside the oven before the discovery.
While police have yet to determine the exact cause and manner of death, sources told Global News that the large baking oven was still operational when first responders arrived at the scene.
Investigators are collaborating with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) division and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.
As of Tuesday, the cause and manner of death have not been determined, with police describing the situation as a "complex" investigation.
"An investigation of this nature may take a significant amount of time," police noted.
As a result of the ongoing probe, the Walmart store remains closed, with a spokesperson confirming the closure until further notice.
"We are heartbroken and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family," said Walmart spokesperson Amanda Moss in a statement to ABC News.
"Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need."
The young woman, a member of Halifax's local Sikh community, had moved to Canada just a few years ago.
Satnam Singh Randhawa, chair of the Maritime Sikh Society board, expressed the community’s sorrow.
“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,” Randhawa told CBC News.
Constable Martin Cromwell told CBC News: “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.”
According to Cromwell, police have not yet accessed certain areas of the store to preserve the integrity of the evidence.
“When that work is complete, HRP investigators and other agencies like [Occupational Health and Safety] will then be provided access,” he said.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by this tragedy.
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