Locals in a city in western Japan have been told not to approach or touch a missing cat that fell into a vat of dangerous chemicals and then scampered off into the night.

An employee at a metal plating plant in Fukuyama arrived for work on Monday morning to find feline paw prints leading away from the container, the firm said.

Grainy security camera footage released by the company shows the cat fleeing from the factory, apparently unharmed.

The city's environmental team warned residents not to touch "a cat that seems abnormal" but also said the animal might have died as a result of the incident, the BBC reported.

The vat, 10 feet deep, contained hexavalent chromium, which is carcinogenic and can be harmful to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system, according to the CDC. The chemical featured prominently in the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich."

"We immediately alerted police, the Fukuyama city and neighbors near our factory," a representative from the company told AFP, without wishing to be named.

"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 said.

City authorities told locals to avoid touching the animal and to inform police immediately if they come across it.

No sightings had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon.

In:
• Japan