Hong Kong - Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index surged more than 4 per cent in the opening minutes of trading Tuesday as markets across the region rallied on optimism over bank bail-out deals.

The blue-chip index rose 664 points, or 4.07 per cent, to 16,976 15 minutes after the market opened. In the first minutes of trading, it jumped above 17,000 before falling back slightly.

Tuesday's gains follow a rise of more than 10 per cent in the Hang Seng Monday as news of the bank bail-out deals in Europe brought buyers flooding back into the market. (dpa)