A 19-year-old Sikh woman was found dead inside a walk-in oven of the Walmart store's bakery department in Canada's Halifax city, according to media reports. Halifax Regional Police (HRP) said they were called to a sudden death at the Walmart at 6990 Mumford Road around 9:30 pm on Saturday.

According to police, the woman, who has been identified as Gursimran Kaur, was employed at the store. Her body was found in a walk-in oven, police said.

Gursimran Kaur and her mother both worked at a Walmart in Halifax, Canada. On Saturday, when Kaur's mother did not see her on the floor for over an hour, she began to search for the teenager.

According to the Maritime Sikh Society Gursimran's mother asked several colleagues about her whereabouts "but everyone brushed aside thinking that she may be somewhere helping a customer."

Repeated attempts to contact Gursimran over the phone yielded no results. As per the Maritime Sikh Society her phone was not reachable. "Mother started panicking as it was unusual for her to switch her phone off during the day."

Gursimran's mother opened the walk-in oven when someone pointed out the "leakage" spewing from it, The Sun reported.

The Maritime Sikh Society confirmed to CTV News that she was a member of their community.

"It's very sad for us, for her family as well, because she came for a better future and she lost her life," said Anmolpreet Singh, with the Maritime Sikh Society.

She had recently moved to Canada from India, The Globe and Mail newspaper said.

The store has remained closed since Saturday night while the investigation is ongoing.

HRP Constable Martin Cromwell said police were aware of online speculation about the woman's cause of death.

"The investigation is complex," said Cromwell.

"We understand the public is involved, and we just wanted to encourage the public to be patient with our investigation and be mindful that there are family members and coworkers involved." Cromwell said Halifax police were coordinating with the appropriate agencies to help with the investigation.

"We urge the public to be mindful of sharing speculative information on social media," HRP said in a statement on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the province's labour department said a stop-work order has been issued for the bakery and "one piece of equipment" at the Walmart store.

"It is important to note that the investigation has not yet reached a point where the cause and manner of death have been confirmed," HRP said.

Nova Scotia's medical examiner is working to determine the cause of death, and the province's Department of Health and Safety is taking part in the investigation.

Walk-in ovens, also referred to as cabinet or batch ovens, allow for curing, drying or baking in batches using wheeled racks or carts. They are often found in large-volume bakeries in places such as supermarkets.

Gursimran Kaur and her mother, originally from Ludhiana, had moved to Canada from the United Kingdom three years ago. They started working at the Walmart supermarket around two years ago.

The Maritime Sikh Society has arranged for psychological counselling for those affected and has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for funeral expenses and to bring family members from India for the last rites. So far, the fundraiser has collected over $194,309 Canadian dollars to support the family.

"This family's sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this horrific time," read the fundraiser.