Sensex falls 550 pts, Nifty below 24,750 as Middle East tensions keep investors on edge; all sectors in red India VIX, the barometer to assess market anxiety, surged 8.27 percent to 15.18, signalling heightened market volatility. Benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex were on track to log a second straight day of losses, as rising tensions in the Middle East and lingering trade uncertainties rattled investor sentiment. A broad-based sell-off gripped the market, with all major sectoral indices slipping into the red and India VIX surging over 7 percent, signalling mounting nervousness. At about 3 pm, the Sensex was down 560.63 points or 0.69 percent at 81,131.35, and the Nifty was down 165.25 points or 0.66 percent at 24,722.95. About 1214 shares advanced, 2280 shares declined, and 99 shares remained unchanged.