( dpa )- The Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged by more than 4 per cent in early trading Tuesday in Tokyo. At 9:16 am, the benchmark index saw a massive loss of 540.54 points, or 4.1 per cent, to a level of 12,785.4. The Nikkei fell below 13,000 points for the first time since October 2005.