HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks tanked in the first few minutes of trade Thursday following a rout on Wall Street, with investors fretting that markets are in line for a correction after a lengthy rally.

The Hang Seng Index fell 1.31 percent, or 382.68 points, to 28,914.85.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index sank 1.08 percent, or 38.67 points, to 3,534.67, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange shed 1.44 percent, or 34.84 points, to 2,386.08.