Port Blair: An American visiting one of the islands in India's remote cluster of Andaman and Nicobar has been killed by a group of hunter-gatherers who live there isolated from the outside world, two police officials said on Wednesday.

The North Sentinel Island is out of bounds for visitors, and is home to the Sentinelese community, who allegedly killed the man, identified as John Allen Chau, after he was illegally ferried there by fishermen, the officials added.

A file photo of a lone Sentinelese tribesman aiming his bow at an Indian coast guard helicopter. Credit:AP

"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.

In a statement late on Tuesday, Deepak Yadav, a senior police officer, said authorities in the island chain in the Bay of Bengal had launched an investigation.