BUCHAREST, Romania — Huge protests, some of the largest since the fall of communism, toppled the government of Romania on Wednesday, five days after a fire at a nightclub killed 32 people and set off a wave of outrage over corruption and ineptitude. 
 
 Prime Minister Victor Ponta — who was already under pressure, having been indicted this year on charges of forgery, money laundering and tax evasion — said he was bowing to the will of the more than 20,000 demonstrators who had taken to the streets of Bucharest on Tuesday night to demand his ouster. 
 
 “I have the obligation to acknowledge that there is legitimate anger in society,” Mr. Ponta, 43, said in a statement. “In my years as a politician, I put up a fight in any battle with political opponents. However, I won’t put up a fight against the people.” 
 
 It was a startling and sudden fall from power for Mr. Ponta, who became prime minister in May 2012, and it was reminiscent of the uprising that overthrew the government of Ukraine last year. It was also a vivid reminder of Romania’s awkward fit in the European Union, which it joined, with Bulgaria, in 2007 despite concerns about corruption and the rule of law. 

 This article is over 2 years old 
 
 In aftermath of 32 deaths, president endorses demonstrations targeting Victor Ponta – who has stayed in office despite facing trial for corruption 
 
 Anger over Bucharest nightclub fire spirals into demands for PM to resign 
 
 More than 20,000 people have rallied in Bucharest demanding Romania’s prime minister resign after a deadly nightclub fire that claimed 32 lives. 
 
 
 
 Demonstrators gathered in Bucharest’s Victory Square, the seat of government, calling for Victor Ponta’s resignation and that of his interior minister, Gabriel Oprea. 
 
 Police arrest owners of Bucharest fire tragedy nightclub Read more 
 
 Ponta, 43, had already been under growing pressure to quit after he went on trial in September facing charges of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. The Social Democrat is the first Romanian head of government to stand trial while still in office. The charges date back to 2007-2011, when Ponta was working as a lawyer. He became prime minister in 2012. 
 
 Marchers on Tuesday chanted “Ponta resign” and “killers”, and some waved the national flag with holes in it: a symbol of the popular revolution 25 years ago that toppled dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. 
 
 
 
 President Klaus Iohannis, who had earlier paid tribute to two heroes in the blaze and demanded reforms to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy, praised the rally. 
 
 “I am impressed by this evening’s demonstrations,” the conservative head of state said on his Facebook page. The country’s political leaders, he said, “cannot ignore this feeling of revolt.” 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Emergency service staff work outside the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest where 32 people died after an explosion 
 
 Viorel Anastasoaie, a demonstrator aged in his thirties, said the rally was “a gesture of solidarity” with the victims of the blaze “and a sign of protest against the government, against the district mayor, against the system which enabled a tragedy of this kind to happen”. 
 
 Earlier mourners paid tribute to two men who sacrificed themselves in the fire which engulfed the basement club in a Communist-era building on Friday. 
 
 
 
 The toll of 32 dead and nearly 200 injured would have been deadlier had Claudiu Petre, a physicist by training, and drummer Adrian Rugina not been at the Colectiv disco when an illegal pyrotechnics display went horribly awry. 
 
 The pair went several times into the burning club to rescue trapped revellers, only to die themselves. 
 
 Witnesses said a fireworks display triggered the blaze at the Colectiv, which was located in a former shoe factory. The inferno sparked a deadly stampede. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Romanians hold placards calling for the resignations of mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone, minister Gabriel Oprea and prime minister Victor Ponta. Photograph: Cocolos Octavian/Demotix/Corbis 
 
 Elders in the Orthodox church criticised the youngsters for listening to “Satanist” music at the concert, which was held on the night before Halloween. 
 
 The accusations sparked a backlash against the ecclesiastical authorities, especially against Patriarch Daniel, head of the Romanian Orthodox church, who has maintained a studied silence on the tragedy. 
 
 On Monday Petre and Rugina were posthumously decorated by Iohannis for “their courage and altruism and for saving lives at the cost of supreme sacrifice”. 
 
 “Their time is not over as heroes never die,” Iohannis said. 
 
 In remarks on Sunday, Iohannis also called for society to face up to the need for root-and-branch reform. 
 
 “We should no longer tolerate government incompetence, institutional inefficiency, and we cannot let corruption spread to the point that it kills people,” he said. 

 BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced the resignation of his government Wednesday following huge protests in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed more than 30 people. 
 
 Riot policemen run to reinforce the lines during a protest in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Up to eight thousand people joined a protest against the... (Associated Press) 
 
 Romanians fill the Calea Victoriei, a main avenue of the Romanian capital, during a large protest in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. More than 10,000 marched down the city's main boulevards... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2013, file photo, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta speaks during a Press conference in Bucharest, Romania. Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced the resignation of... (Associated Press) 
 
 People stand in Victory square during protest in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Up to eight thousand people joined a protest against the endemic corruption... (Associated Press) 
 
 A man holds a Romanian flag during a protest in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Up to eight thousand people joined a protest against the endemic corruption... (Associated Press) 
 
 "I'm handing in my mandate, I'm resigning, and implicitly my government too," Ponta said in a statement. He said he would stay on until a new government is in place. 
 
 "I am obliged to take note of the legitimate grievances which exist in society," said Ponta. "I hope handing in my and my government's mandate will satisfy the demands of protesters." 
 
 President Klaus Iohannis will name a prime minister to form a new government, which needs to be approved by Parliament. If this fails twice, early elections will be called. Romania is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in December 2016. 
 
 The mayor of the district in the Romanian capital where the nightclub is located, Cristian Popescu Piedone, also resigned Wednesday, saying he is morally guilty for the deadliest fire in Romania's history. 
 
 Piedone said: "I assume the moral blame. As for the legal (blame) I will leave it to justice to pronounce." He came under pressure to step down following mass protests through the city Tuesday night, with more than 20,000 demonstrators blaming widespread corruption for the deadly blaze on Friday night. 
 
 Witnesses said the fire broke out during a heavy-metal concert in the basement club when a spark ignited foam decor, sending panicked people stampeding for the single exit. The death toll stands at 32, with some 130 still hospitalized, dozens of them in serious or critical condition. 
 
 Deputy leader of the opposition Liberal Party, Catalin Predoiu, hailed the resignations. "This is a victory of the street. It is a lesson for all politicians," he said. 
 
 Thousands took to the streets the night before in a spontaneous protest calling for the resignation of Ponta, Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea and Piedone. 
 
 They shouted "Shame on you!" and "Assassins!" and waved Romanian flags. Anger has been brewing for some time in Romania against the government, which many perceive as being corrupt, and Friday's fire has added to the discontent. 
 
 Even before the fire, Ponta had been under pressure from his oponents to resign, but had refused. He is on trial for corruption charges including tax evasion, money laundering, conflict of interest and making false statements while he was working as a lawyer in 2007 and 2008. At the time, Ponta was a lawmaker. He denies wrongdoing. 
 
 Romanians had also called for the resignation of Oprea over the on-duty death of a police motorcyclist, who died after he hit a hole on Oct. 20. He was in a motorcade easing a route in Bucharest for Oprea.
– Romanians who took to the streets in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed 32 people didn't just vent their anger, they brought down the government. Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned Wednesday, as did the mayor of the district in Bucharest where the fire took place, reports the AP. "I am obliged to take note of the legitimate grievances which exist in society," said Ponta. "I hope handing in my and my government's mandate will satisfy the demands of protesters." About 20,000 rallied in Bucharest Tuesday night, charging that widespread corruption led to weak safety inspections and permits for those with the right connections, reports the New York Times. One popular sign: "Corruption Kills." Ponta's government seemed doomed when President Klaus Iohannis voiced his support for the protests as they were unfolding. "I am impressed by this evening’s demonstrations," he wrote on Facebook. "The next step is for politicians, who cannot ignore this sentiment of revolt." Ponta already faced pressure to quit because he was on trial for corruption charges stemming from his work as a lawyer before entering government, reports AFP. Iohannis will now name a prime minister to form a new government. About 200 people also were injured in the fire, which started when a fireworks display went awry in a converted shoe factory.