Sensex falls 500 points, Nifty below 23,500 as oil prices near $100 per barrel

Indian benchmark indices opened lower on Wednesday as crude oil prices nearly touched $100/barrel amid rising tensions in the Middle East. At 10:12 am, the BSE Sensex was down 599.60 points at 74,977.98, while the Nifty 50 fell 160.15 points to 23,476. Notably, Brent crude futures rose to $99.33/barrel on Wednesday, while US West Texas Intermediate crude stood at $94.34/barrel.