American tourist killed by tribals in Andaman island

Kolkata/New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) An American tourist who tried to reach out to the pre-neolithic and isolated Sentinelese tribe in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was killed by a single arrow shot by a tribal, authorities said.

John Allen Chau is believed to have died around November 17. He arranged his trip to the restricted island for missionary activities, the Andaman Police said, adding that efforts were on to locate his body.

The incident took place in the restricted and unguarded North Sentinel Island, home to Sentinelese tribes.

Seven locals including some fishermen who facilitated Chau's visit have been arrested. They confirmed seeing Chau being cut down by an arrow while trying to contact the tribe and offering them gifts like a small football, playing ring, fishing line, scissors and medical kit. 

"During his attempts to befriend the tribals, he was shot with an arrow by an unknown person," the police said.

This is not the first time when Sentinelese have attacked and killed outsiders. In 2006, two fishermen went near the island and were killed. The tribals also shot arrows at the helicopter that went to retrieve the bodies.

According to an Andaman journalist, Chau was keen to visit Sentinelese. His mother contacted the American Consulate in Chennai after he could not be reached for over a week, Denis Giles, editor of the Andaman Chronicle, told IANS.

Giles and green activists held the recent government decision to exclude 29 Andaman islands, including North Sentinel Island, from Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime to promote tourism responsible for the killing.