Japanese city warns residents against touching cat which fell in toxic chemical tank

There's a bit of panic in Japan's Fukuyama city whose residents were warned not to approach or touch a cat thathas gone missing after falling into a vat filled with cancer-causing chemicals.

On Monday morning (Mar 11), an employee working at a metal plating plant in Fukuyama reached the plant to find the paw prints of the cat from the container to the way out, said the firm.

In the security camera footage shared by the company, the cat was seen running from the factory and appeared unharmed.

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However, no footage appeared which showed how the cat fell into the chemical-filled vat.

The vat, which had a depth of three metres (10 feet) and was filled with hexavalent chromium, is carcinogenic and can lead to skin inflammation.

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"We immediately alerted police, the Fukuyama city and neighbours near our factory," said a representative from the company, while speaking to AFP news agency.

"The incident woke us up to the need to take measures to prevent small animals like cats from sneaking in, which is something we had never anticipated before," he added.

The locals were informed by the city authorities to not touch the animal and to immediately inform police if they came across it.

No sightings of a cat so far as officials speculate on its death

As of Tuesday afternoon (Mar 12), no sightings of the cat were reported.

Coming in contact with the chemical can lead to skin inflammation and inhaling it can cause respiratory issues,the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported.

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It added that the factory employees wear rubber gloves and masks while handling the substance.

According to the Fukuyama environmental officials, the cat may have died by coming into contact with the poisonous chemical.

(With inputs from agencies)