A man has been shot dead with arrows by tribal people when trespassing on an island authorities forbade him to visit.

John Allen Chau, 27, was a missionary from America, and visited North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean with the intention of converting its inhabitants to Christianity.

With the Andaman Islands, North Sentinel is protected as the tribes who live on it have no intention of ingratiating themselves with outside society.

Chau paid a fisherman to take him to the island but was almost instantly killed by the tribesmen living on it, using bow and arrows.


The tribesmen on North Sentinel are protected by law, as they have history with killing trespassers. Along with that, they may be vulnerable to modern diseases as they are so secluded.

Since the incident, police have arrested seven people, believed to be the fishermen who took him there.

International Christian Concern say that Chau had been very interested in visiting the island the second he learned it existed. As they have it, he visited several islands surrounded it, before eventually biting the bullet and travelling to North Sentinel.

A spokesperson for International Christian Concern said:

“We here at International Christian Concern are extremely concerned by the reports of an American missionary being murdered in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Our thoughts and prayers go out to both John’s family and friends. A full investigation must be launched in this this murder and those responsible must be brought to justice.”


Meanwhile, the police have said:

“He tried to reach the Sentinel island on November 14 but could not make it. Two days later he went well prepared. He left the dingy midway and took a canoe all by himself to the island. He was attacked by arrows, but he continued walking. The fishermen saw the tribals tying a rope around his neck and dragging his body. They were scared and fled but returned next morning to find his body on the sea shore.”

A spokesperson for the US Consulate said:


“We are aware of reports concerning a US citizen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts,”

Around 150 people are believed to live on North Sentinel Island, and they are known to actively shun the outside world. Previously, they have been known to kill fishermen who encroached on their territory.

Images via Times of India, Atlas&Boots