Following tumbling global markets, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange tanked 434 points, or 2.7 per cent, to close below the 16,000 level, at 15,791, amid a broad-based sell-off, today. The Sensex had plummeted 500 points at the day's low, and lost 2 points at the day's high. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange plunged 127 points, or 2.6 percent, to 4,719. In the broader market, the BSE Midcap index slid 2.6 percent, and the Smallcap index lost 3.3 percent. Market breadth was very weak on the BSE, with about 5 declining stocks for every single gainer. The BSE clocked a turnover of 4,488 crore crore rupees on its cash segment.Sectorally, on the BSE, the Realty and the Metal indices led the fall, slumping 4.3 percent each. The Oil and Gas index plunged 3.4 percent; the Bankex slipped 3 percent; the IT index slid 2.5 percent. The Capital Goods and the Consumer Durables indices shed 2.3 percent each. The Power and the Auto indices lost 2 percent each. The Healthcare index declined 1.9 percent and the FMCG index was down 1.6 percent.Reliance Industries fell 3.9%. Reports say RIL has submitted a 2 billion dollar expression of interest for Value Creation Inc, a Canada-based private firm, which holds oil sands assets.Among specific stocks, Tata Power was the lone gainer among the Sensex pack, rising 1.5%. NTPC fell 1.5%, ONGC slumped 4.9%, ITC shed 2.3%, and Grasim lost 2.1%.Metal stocks declined for the second straight session. Hindalco slumped 5.5%, and was the top loser from the Sensex pack. Tata Steel slid 4.7%, NALCO slipped 4.4%, Hindustan Zinc declined 4.3%, Sesa Goa lost 3.5%, and Sterlite fell 2.2%,Among capital goods stocks, JP Associates slipped 4.6%, L&T dipped 1.4%, BHEL shed 3.5%, Gammon India declined 3.1%, GMR Infrastructure slumped 5.6%, and Punj Lloyd lost 3.4%.Bharti Airtel 1.8%. Reliance Communications declined 0.6%.On auto counters, Tata Motors lost 2.6%, Mahindra and Mahindra fell 4.3% and Maruti Suzuki shed 1%.Among IT pivotals, Infosys slipped 2.9%, Wipro declined 2.3%, and TCS fell 2.6%.