Mumbai, March 26 (IANS): A benchmark index of Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip BSE Sensitive Index (Sensex), was down 459 points or 1.63 percent during the late afternoon trade session Thursday.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading in the red during the late afternoon trade session. It was down 124.85 points or 1.46 percent at 8,405.95 points.

The S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex, which opened at 27,937.62 points, was trading at 27,652.86 points (at 2.30 p.m.), down 458.97 points or 1.63 percent from the previous day's close at 28,111.83 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 27,997.14 points and a low of 27,644.84 points in the intra-day trade so far.

All sector-based indices of the BSE were trading in the red except for the capital goods index.

The S&P BSE bank index plunged 375.78 points, information technology (IT) index plummetted by 236.22 points, healthcare index fell by 194.31 points, automobile index declined by 171.58 points, metal index decreased by 161.75 points and TECK index dropped by 99.07 points.

However, the S&P BSE capital goods index was up 62.62 points.