PANICKED residents in a Japanese city have been warned not to approach a cat on the loose after it plunged into a tank of dangerous chemicals.
Grainy CCTV footage showed the toxic tom scampering off into the night covered in hexavalent chromium – which can cause cancer.
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An incriminating trail of yellow paw prints leading away from the container was spotted by a baffled employee at the Nomura Plating factory in Fukuyama on Monday.
Bosses checked the security camera tape – and were stunned to see the cat escaping the scene the previous night, apparently unharmed.
The furry fugitive had plummeted into a 10ft deep vat filled with hexavalent chromium.
Horrified workers at the plant frantically phoned the police to warn them about the potentially poisonous puss.
Authorities in Fukuyama have now warned locals to stay away from the infected moggy and to not touch it.
It’s feared any contact with the contaminated cat could expose people to the highly toxic chemical.
Cops have urged residents to phone them immediately if they spot the feline – which they say could display unusual behaviour.
No sightings have been reported yet.
An anonymous employee of the plant said: “We immediately alerted police, the Fukuyama city and neighbors near our factory.
“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.”
Hexavalent chromium is banned in Europe and the US – but is still legally produced in other parts of the world.
It is used in many industries including electroplating, welding, and chromate painting.
People can be exposed to it by breathing it in, ingesting it in food or water, or direct contact with skin.
Hexavalent chromium compounds have been shown to cause lung cancer when inhaled.
Exposure to it can also cause kidney and liver damage, nasal and skin irritation and ulceration, and eye irritation and damage.
Several irate animal lovers called the company in a fury to blast bosses for failing to take measures to keep animals away from dangerous containers.
Many also took to social media to slam the plant for not taking precautions.
One official told Flash magazine: “We are taking the complaints seriously and will take thorough measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.”
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