Mumbai, April 23 -- The domestic equity benchmarks traded with substantial losses in the afternoon trade as investor sentiment remained cautious amid uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a sharp surge in crude oil prices above the $100-per-barrel mark. Investors are also closely monitoring Q4 earnings for further cues.

The Nifty traded below the 24,300 level. Auto, PSU Bank and consumer durables shares declined, while pharma, healthcare and media shares advanced.

At 13:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex fell 573.90 points or 0.73% to 77,954.33. The Nifty 50 index slumped 121.50 points or 0.50% to 24,257.75.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index added 0.01% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index rose...