HYDERABAD: Close to 500 registration certificates (RCs) that were to be issued to motorists were gutted in an early morning fire at Kukatpally road transport office(RTO) on Tuesday.
The office has been shut for public and will be re-opened on Thursday. Officials maintained that the burnt RCs were yet to be printed and all the data is safe online.
The fire broke out at around 3 am and was first noticed by the security guard on duty who alerted fire services. The cause of the fire is suspected to be a short circuit in the air conditioner. There was no loss of life. The estimated loss is about `4 lakh.
Three computers, an air conditioner, the network modem and server were damaged whereas several files were also charred.
The RTO officials, however, assured that none of the data has been lost. The papers that got damaged in the fire were meant for disposal, they maintained. This, they said, is not a major fire and only the network room was affected.
“Close to 200 people visit the Kukkatpally RTO on a daily basis. We have sent text messages to the public who had their slots booked for Tuesday and have rescheduled their appointments,” said Sudheer Kumar motor vehicle inspector, Kukkatpally RTO. “If the restoration work is completed on Tuesday, we will resume our services by Wednesday itself, “ said Susheel. The office will reopen service on Thursday.