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A pressurised cylinder burst and smashed through a window on the 23rd storey of The Gateway West at 10:30am on Tuesday (Aug. 10).
It is understood that the cylinder then ricocheted off the courtyard and crashed into the first-floor glass panel of The Gateway East, which is opposite The Gateway West.
No injuries reported
Building management was informed of the incident at 10:45am, according to a spokesperson from the Singapore Land Group, which manages both buildings at The Gateway.
The affected areas were cordoned off and all debris was cleared.
No injuries were reported, according to the spokesperson.
Mothership understands that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were not called to the scene when the incident occurred.
Not a typical fire extinguisher
Earlier reports have identified the projectile as an expired fire extinguisher, however, building authorities have confirmed that the object is a cylinder that is part of an FM 200 fire extinguishing system that is commonly used in computer server rooms.
Here's what a fire extinguishing system looks like:
Screenshot via TPMCSteel website.
The Singapore Land Group spokesperson said that this cylinder is "different from regular fire extinguishers".
Such cylinders can typically weigh anywhere between 10kg and 450kg, whereas fire extinguishers can weigh between 1kg and 10kg.
The spokesperson added that the cylinder belonged to a tenant of a vacant unit where the incident occurred.
Large hole left on side of building
When Mothership visited the site on Wednesday (Aug. 11) morning, a large hole, presumably where the cylinder smashed through, was seen on the side of The Gateway West facing the ground-floor courtyard.
Photo by Low Jia Ying.
Photo by Low Jia Ying.
Photo by Low Jia Ying.
Additional hoarding was also seen covering the glass panels of the lobby of The Gateway East, where the cylinder ricocheted into.
Photo by Low Jia Ying.
The entire courtyard was also cordoned off and no debris was spotted.
Photo by Low Jia Ying.
The Gateway West and East are approximately 50m apart, separated by a courtyard on the ground floor.
Screenshot from Google Maps.
Ongoing reinstatement works when incident occurred
Reinstatement works on the floor were being carried out by the tenant’s appointed contractor, said the company's spokesperson.
The fire and safety manager of The Gateway also told Mothership that there was a "small group of workers" conducting works on the floor when the incident occurred, but they were unharmed.
SCDF personnel and building authorities were conducting investigations when Mothership visited the site.
Building's architect designed Paris' Louvre Pyramid
The Gateway is a 37-storey skyscraper located at Beach Road and was designed by world-renowned architect I. M. Pei.
Pei also designed the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, as well as Singapore's OCBC Centre.
The Gateway is known for the optical illusion it creates. When viewed at certain angles, the building appears two-dimensional.
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Top photos by Low Jia Ying.