Missing cat sparks public alerts in Hiroshima
The Japanese government has issued public alerts regarding a missing cat believed to have fallen into a chemical tank in Hiroshima
The public has been warned about a cat that fell into a tank full of hazardous chemicals in Hiroshima, southwestern Japan.
According to the news in the national media, locals were issued a warning “not to approach” a cat that disappeared in the Fukuyama region of Hiroshima province after falling into a tank full of dangerous chemicals.
The cat, which disappeared over the weekend and was last seen on the security cameras of a coating factory, was seen running away quickly, leaving footprints in front of the factory.
A worker found that the cat’s “reddish yellow” paw prints went all the way to the factory’s 3-meter-deep barrel filled with “hexavalent chromium” (Chromium-6).
Kobayashi Akihiro, manager of the coating factory Nomura Mekki Fukuyama, said in his statement that they found the sheet covering the chemical barrel partially torn.
Do not touch ‘abnormal looking’ cat
It was stated that the chemical substance in the barrel caused diseases that “can cause rash and inflammation when touched or inhaled and can lead to cancer.”
Fukuyama Municipality stated that they increased patrols to find the cat, suspected of “wandering around the city after falling into a chemical barrel.”
Noting that the cat could not be located despite searches, the municipality issued a “warning not to approach or touch” the cat if it is seen.
The warning reads “If you find a cat that looks abnormal, please do not touch it and contact the municipality or the police. If you touch it, wash it with plenty of water.”
Exposure level
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes the chemical as “harmful to the eyes, skin and respiratory system.”
The CDC website states, “Workers may be harmed by exposure to hexavalent chromium. The level of exposure depends on the dose, duration, and work performed.” Expressions are included.
Linda Schenk, a chemical risk expert at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said, “Even though fur protects the skin from major burns, cats clean their fur by licking it and carrying the corrosive solution into the mouth.”
“I guess that the cat is dead or may die quickly from chemical burns,” Schenk said.
Source: AA
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