It could be the opening scene of a new Marvel movie. Residents of a Japanese city have been warned not to approach or touch a missing cat, which is believed to have fallen into a container containing toxic chemicals, before running off.
The search for the unlucky feline began when workers at a metal plating factory in Fukuyama, western Japan, arrived at work to find a trail of yellow-brown footprints leaving a container of hexavalent chromium, a highly acidic carcinogen. It started with something.
Contact with the chemicals can cause skin irritation and inhalation can cause respiratory illnesses. According to the Asahi Shimbun, factory workers wear masks and rubber gloves when handling the substance.
Security camera footage showed the cat leaving the factory, but the cat is currently missing.
There appears to be no footage showing how the cat came into contact with the chemicals, which were stored in a tank 3 meters deep.
A representative from the Nomura Plating Fukuyama Factory told Agence France-Presse: “We immediately notified the police, Fukuyama City, and residents living near the factory.”
According to the company, part of the sheet covering the tank appears to have been turned over.
“This incident made us aware of the need to take measures to prevent small animals like cats from entering. This was something we had not anticipated before,” said an anonymous source. the representative added.
No sightings of the animal had been reported as of Tuesday. Local residents are being urged to report any “unusual-looking” cats to the police immediately and to keep their distance.
Environmental authorities in Fukuyama City speculate that the cat may have died as a result of encountering toxic chemicals.
