TIRANA, Albania - A boat carrying 20 people celebrating the birthday of 5-year-old twins sank overnight in a lake near the capital, killing 16 people, including the two children, police said Thursday.
The boat belonged to a restaurant on the shores of Lake Farka, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of the capital, Tirana. It had a capacity of seven, but was transporting 20 partygoers from the restaurant when it sank, Tirana police spokeswoman Alma Katragjini said.
Authorities believe the boat capsized and sank due to being overloaded.
Four people survived the sinking, which occurred shortly after midnight, Katragjini said. By 3 am (0200GMT), authorities had collected 16 bodies from the lake, including those of the 5-year-old twin boys, she said.
Fourteen belonged to two families, while two of the bodies were not immediately identified, but were believed to be those of family friends, Katragjini said.
