Stock market today, March 12 -- Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 were experiencing a decline during the afternoon session on Thursday, largely due to rising crude oil prices stemming from the escalating crisis in West Asia.

Additionally, diminished global market performance and persistent outflows of foreign funds also unsettled investor sentiment, analysts noted.

At 13:35 IST, the Sensex dropped by 256.91 points or 0.33%, reaching 76,606.80. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 fell by 53.40 points or 0.23% to 23,807. Earlier in the session, the Sensex had plunged 992.53 points or 1.29% to 75,871.18. The Nifty 50 also saw a decline of 310.55 points or 1.30%, hitting 23,556.30.

Subsequently, the BSE benchmark index was reported at a decrease o...