Pathanamthitta: Two men were killed and two others, including a 16-year-old boy, sustained critical injuries in a head-on collision between two motorcycles in Pathanamthitta district on Wednesday night.

The deceased were identified as Madhu (42), a native of Mangaram in Konni, and Satheesan (45), a resident of Anandappilly in Adoor.

The accident occurred around 9 pm at Anandhappilli on the Adoor–Pathanamthitta road. Madhu was travelling towards Pathanamthitta with a woman riding pillion when his motorcycle collided head-on with Satheesan's bike. Satheesan's 16-year-old son, Sidharthan, was travelling with him as the pillion rider.

Local residents rushed to the spot and shifted all four victims to the Government General Hospital in Pathanamthitta. Madhu was declared brought dead by the doctors, while Satheesan succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

"By the time we reached the scene, the injured had already been taken to the hospital. One of the motorcycles caught fire due to the impact of the collision. We extinguished the fire and cleared the road," an officer from the Adoor Fire and Rescue Services said.

The two pillion riders were later referred to the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. According to the police, the woman suffered a spinal fracture, while Sidharthan remained in critical condition.

The bodies have been kept at government hospitals in Adoor and Pathanamthitta for postmortem. "Inquest proceedings are underway. The bodies will be handed over to the families after the postmortem," a police officer said.

The Adoor police have registered a case under section 306(1)(c) (non-cognizable cases) of the Police Standing Order and initiated an investigation into the accident.