European markets fall heavily on spreading coronavirus

Market tumult sparked by the growing coronavirus crisis has spilled into the fourth consecutive day, with European stocks following Asia’s lead with heavy declines in morning trading. The Stoxx 600 index of European shares fell by 1.8 per cent, with similar declines in the FTSE 100 and the German Dax. European markets are set for their worst week since the eurozone sovereign debt crisis in 2011.