US tourist murdered in Andaman island, 7 people arrested

In a shocking incident, a US citizen was killed by a community of hunter-gatherers in North Sentinel Island, one of the Andaman Islands, as reported by news agency Reuters. The community live there isolated from the outside world, two police officials said on Wednesday.

The tourist has been identified as John Allen Chau. At least seven people have been arrested in connection with the case.

An FIR has been registered by the police in a case of murder.

Police have launched an investigation, Deepak Yadav, a police officer in the island chain in the Bay of Bengal, said in a statement late on Tuesday.

"We are aware of reports concerning a US citizen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands," a spokeswoman for the United States consulate in India`s southern city of Chennai said in an email.

"When a US citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts," she added but declined to provide further details over privacy concerns.

The North Sentinel Island, off-bounds to visitors, is home to the Sentinelese who killed the American after he was illegally ferried there by fishermen, the officials added. "A murder case has been registered," one of the officials told Reuters. Both officials sought anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

The Sentinelese refuse to connect with the rest of the world and are also among those tribes, worldwide, who are averse to modern-day civilization.

Earlier this month, in an interview to travel forum, The Outbound, Chau had said, "Going back to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India is on the top - there's so much to see and do there!" Outbound had asked him what was on the top of his must-do adventure list.

According to the forum, Chau is 23-year-old.

Reuters was not immediately able to trace contact details for a family member or representative of Chau.

One of the police sources said Chau, who had made previous visits to the islands, had a strong desire to meet the Sentinelese. 

Chau hired a fishing dinghy and, aided by the fishermen, reached the vicinity of the island on Nov. 16, before transferring to a canoe, the official said. His body, spotted the following day by the fishermen on their return, has not yet been retrieved, the official added, although the fishermen who took him there have been arrested.