The teenage Walmart employee who died after being "locked" in the store's bakery oven was allegedly discovered by her mom, those close to the family say.
On the night of Saturday (October 19), emergency services were called out to a Walmart store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, following the death of an employee.
The following day, Halifax Regional Police confirmed that a 19-year-old staff member - later identified as Gursimran Kaur - had died after being "located in a large walk-in oven belonging to the store's bakery department".
Throughout the week, officials have released several statements to the press and public, stressing the "complex" nature of the case.
The Daily Mail had previously shared audio transcripts from the emergency services dispatcher, who said: "Female is locked in an oven in the bakery, oven is on, unsure if the staff are able to turn it off."
Investigators are collaborating with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) division and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and determine the exact cause and manner of death.
"An investigation of this nature may take a significant amount of time," police noted.
Additionally, officials have asked the public to refrain from sharing "speculative information" on social media. "Please be aware of the impacts that speculation could have on family, colleagues and loved ones of the woman," police added in a statement.
Following the tragedy, the Maritime Sikh Society launched a GoFundMe in order to raise funds for Kaur's devastated family. As of this writing, the fundraiser has been paused after an incredible $194,000 CAD ($140,000 USD) was raised.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the Maritime Sikh Society spoke out about the fundraiser, saying: "We are a Sikh Gurdwara, the biggest in Atlantic provinces in Canada. This fundraising started with permission from the immediate family, and all the proceedings will go to [Gursimran's] mother."
Per the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Satnam Singh Randhawa, chair of the Maritime Sikh Society board, confirmed the teenager was a member of the Sikh community, with the GoFundMe description calling her a "young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams".
Elsewhere in the description, the Maritime Sikh Society shared more alleged details of the teenager's death.
On the night of October 19, Gursimran's mother - who also worked at the Walmart - allegedly attempted to find her daughter after not having seen her for about an hour. "She asked around, but everyone brushed aside thinking that she may be somewhere helping a customer, the GoFundMe reads.
The mom became more concerned after her daughter's phone became unreachable. "It was unusual for her to switch her phone off during the day," the page adds.
After reaching out to the onsite admin for assistance, the Maritime Sikh Society alleges that the teen's mom eventually discovered the remains of her daughter inside the oven.
They wrote: "Imagine the horror that her mother experienced when she opened the oven, when someone pointed it out to her!"
Constable Martin Cromwell said in an email to PEOPLE on October 25 that there are currently no updates "at this time."
Additionally, an update on the GoFundMe page reads: "We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated to support Gursimran Kaur’s family during this unimaginable time. Your kindness and generosity have been a source of strength for the family as they navigate through this tragedy.
"At this time, we have decided to turn off donations as we begin the process of distributing the funds to the family. Your contributions will help them in their next steps, and we cannot thank you enough for standing with them during this painful period.
"Thank you again for your support, your compassion, and for being a part of this effort to help Gursimran’s family in their time of need."
A spokesperson from Walmart told PEOPLE: "Our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family.
"Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need. As police have stated, this is a very complex matter and the investigation is ongoing."
Our thoughts continue to go out to Gursimran’s family and loved ones at this time.
