Cat falls into toxic chemical tank in Japan and escapes, sparking health scare

Residents of a town in central Japan have been instructed not to approach a cat that fell into a tank of hexavalent chromium and, authorities fear, could expose local people to the highly toxic chemical.

In a plot line that could have come from a sci-fi film, an employee arriving for work on Monday morning at the Nomura Plating factory in Fukuyama, Hiroshima prefecture, noticed a trail of yellow animal paw prints across the car park area.

Examination of security camera footage revealed that a cat had entered the factory the previous night.

An official of the company told Flash magazine that the cat might have climbed onto a sheet covering the tank storing the chemical, which is kept at a constant 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), before falling in.

Hexavalent chromium is used in plating, but it is a known carcinogen. Swallowing the liquid can cause inflammation of the throat and internal organs. The chemical also causes rashes on exposed skin and serious irritation to the eyes. Untreated, the chemical can cause blindness.

The company reported the incident to police and the local authority, which have called on residents to be on the lookout for any cat displaying unusual behaviour but not to approach or touch the animal.

The manager of the plant told Flash that staff had received around a dozen phone calls from angry local people berating the company for failing to take steps to keep the cat away from the chemical.

The official, who was not identified, said, “We are taking the complaints seriously and will take thorough measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.”

The incident also sparked outrage on social media, with animal-lovers accusing the company of failing to take the appropriate