Kasaragod: A 23-year-old motorcyclist was killed and his friend seriously injured after their motorcycles collided with a pickup truck on NH 66 near Kumbla in Kasaragod district early Wednesday.

The accident occurred around 12.30 am at Bandiyod, about 20 km from the Talapady border and 34 km from Mangaluru city. The two were returning after a leisure trip to Kasaragod when the mishap took place.

Kumbla police identified the deceased as Niranjan (23), son of Suresh Rai of Yenekallu in Sullia taluk, around 100 km from Mangaluru.

His friend has been identified as Krithik Benny (24), a native of Shakti Nagar in Mangaluru. He is undergoing treatment.

According to police, Niranjan and Krithik were riding separate motorcycles along the service road when they collided with a Karnataka-registered pickup truck coming from the opposite direction.

Both were initially taken to a private hospital in Bandiyod. However, owing to the severity of their injuries, they were shifted to a hospital in Mangaluru on doctors' advice. Niranjan later succumbed to his injuries.