So here is a quick update on my situation, which I am hoping might help others in the same situation.

If the online application form isn't working for you then try from another browser or even a different device. After trying different browsers on the same laptop and then trying another laptop as well I for the heck of it tried from my phone and it worked.. Filling out the form on the phone wasn't pretty but it worked.. It also helped that you can partly fill the form and come back to complete it later which I had to do since the passport photo that needs to be uploaded wasn't on my phone.

TLDR; try different browsers and devices and hopefully the online visa application will work.