Mumbai, Aug 7 - Continuous selling in auto, consumer durables, realty and power stocks pulled a key index of the Indian equities markets further into the red a little more than 90 minutes before the closing bell Friday, pushing it 223 points below its last closing figure.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 15,440.95 points, was ruling at 15,290.16 points, down 223.87 points or 1.44 percent.

The Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was in the red at 4,521.05 points, down 1.41 percent.

Broader market indices were also in negative terrain with the BSE midcap index trading 1.59 percent down, and the BSE smallcap index ruling 1.44 percent lower.