Sensex ends down 642pts at 18,639

Mirroring weakness in other Asian markets, the Sensex opened with a negative gap of 83 points at 19,198. The index after slipping a bit more tried to recover but could only manage to touch a high of 19,219.

Relentless selling, thereafter, saw the index slip deeper into red as the day progressed. The index tumbled to a low of 18,515 - down 766 points from the previous close. The Sensex finally ended (provisional) with a loss of 642 points at 18,642.