Tokyo's benchmark falls by 3.4% amid virus fears

Tokyo's benchmark fell by an unusually wide margin of 3.4% on Friday amid fears of the spreading of the coronavirus.

Other Asian stock markets also fell further on Friday due to virus fears, deepening a global rout after Wall Street endured its biggest one-day drop in nine years.

Investors who had been confident the disease that emerged in China was under control have been jolted by outbreaks in Italy, South Korea and Iran.

They worry the virus is turning into a global threat that might derail trade and industry.

In Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for schools across the country to close for weeks, a decision that impacted 12.8 million students.