Mumbai, Sept. 2 -- The key equity benchmarks continued to trade major losses in the morning trade amid rise in crude oil prices, higher bond yields heightened concerns over a potential resurgence in inflation, raising fears that central banks could maintain or adopt tighter monetary policy. Escalating US-Iran tensions further weighed on investor sentiment and kept risk appetite subdued. The Nifty traded below the 23,850 mark.

IT shares declined after advancing in the past trading session.

At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex declined 660.19 points or 0.86% to 76,284.09. The Nifty 50 index tanked 234 points or 0.96% to 23,824.65.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index tumbled 1.18% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Inde...