Summary

Police have ruled out foul play in the death of Gursimran Kaur, a 19-year-old Walmart employee found dead in a walk-in bakery oven at a Halifax, Canada, store on October 19.

After interviews, video reviews, and collaboration with labor and medical officials, investigators concluded no one else was involved.

Kaur’s mother, also a Walmart employee, discovered her daughter after a frantic search.

The store remains closed, and the oven is being removed. Workplace safety officials are now leading the investigation.

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    111
    ·
    4 days ago

    Just before people misunderstand… a lack of foul play means the investigators don’t believe it was an intentional act of murder… but Walmart may still be found guilty of gross-negligance in creating an unsafe work environment.

    • plz1@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      42
      ·
      4 days ago

      It just means the punishment is money, not jail. That’s what it really means. Companies can kill people with negligence and pay money. People that kill people with negligence go to jail. And also pay money.

      • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        4 days ago

        Canada’s labour laws work different than America’s. All workplace deaths are investigated by a provincial worker’s comp and charges are laid under their statutes. Monetary compensation is set by those statutes as well.

        Afaik families rarely sue for workplace deaths/injuries, although I’m unsure if it is forbidden under the Workplace Health and Safety Act.

      • NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        People that kill others out of Gross negligence often go to Jail but regular negligence I’m pretty sure isn’t criminal, though I’m not Canadian. I’m the other kind of American.

        Gross Negligence per Wikipedia is a “lack of slight diligence or care” or “a conscious, voluntary act or omission in reckless disregard of a legal duty and of the consequences to another party.”

    • can@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      4 days ago

      In a statement Monday, the department said: “Now that Halifax Regional Police have concluded their investigation, effective November 18, the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration has assumed the lead in the ongoing workplace investigation.”

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      4 days ago

      Maybe. Per the article the oven was fine, though, and if nobody else was involved that means you’d expect the door was clear when she went in.