HK shares fall 4.3 pct but end above 12,000 pts

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares dropped 4.3 percent as worries over a long-lasting global recession fuelled a flight to cash, but the main index closed above 12,000 points as new lows in some blue chips prompted short covering late in the session.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index .HSI unofficially closed 551.46 points lower at 12,264.34, with stocks across the board notching up hefty losses.

The index had fallen to 11,976.88 earlier.

The China Enterprises Index of top locally listed mainland Chinese firms .HSCE shed 5.3 percent to 6,142.54.

(Reporting by Parvathy Ullatil; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree)