CHENNAI: Hundreds of passport applicants were left waiting for hours at the Passport Seva Kendra in West Tambaram on Tuesday after a technical glitch disrupted online services for nearly four hours.

The Passport Seva Kendra on Duraisamy Street caters to more than 500 applicants daily, including people from various parts of Tamil Nadu who visit the centre for passport registration, verification and other services.

More than 200 applicants had gathered at the centre from around 9 am on Tuesday. However, a technical issue with the online system brought passport verification and registration processes to a halt, leaving applicants waiting for several hours.

With no clear information or alternative arrangements initially provided, several applicants grew frustrated and engaged in heated arguments with officials outside the centre.

Employees at the centre later informed the applicants that the server was down and affecting verification and other services. They also said the disruption was not limited to the Tambaram centre, with passport offices in several major cities across the country reportedly facing a similar issue. Officials assured the applicants that services would resume once the server problem was resolved.

The online services resumed after nearly four hours. However, registration and verification processes continued at a slower pace, resulting in further delays for those waiting at the centre.