Urgent: Japan's Nikkei closes 12.4 pct lower in record intraday plunge

TOKYO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Japan's benchmark Nikkei Stock Average on Monday plunged, closing 12.4 percent, or 4,451.28 points lower at 31,458.42, refreshing its record intraday drop which was previously seen at 3,836 points in the "Black Monday" crash in 1987.