A young man, said to be a member of the popular Honiara group Ontox, died instantly and another is in a critical condition after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a tree.

The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, with preliminary reports stating that the likely cause being "driving under the influence of alcohol."

A Police traffic officer, who was at the scene, told SIBC news that the victim was among five men at the back of the truck when it lost control and veered off the road.

The National Referral Hospital has been able to confirm that one of the men was critically injured while the others sustained serious injuries.

Police are continuing their investigations.