Romanian PM resigns after nightclub fire

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has resigned after some 20,000 people took to the streets to protest over a nightclub fire that killed 32 people.

According to BBC news report, the Friday night's blaze in Bucharest started when a band performing at the club set off fireworks inside.

The protesters had called on Ponta to step down, complaining of government corruption and poor safety supervision.

"I'm handing in my mandate, I'm resigning, and implicitly my government too," Mr Ponta said in a statement.

"I hope the government's resignation will satisfy the people who came out in the streets," he added.

A main avenue in the capital was filled by protesters on Tuesday night

In September, Mr Ponta became the first sitting Romanian prime minister to go on trial charged with corruption. He faces allegations of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.

He denies the charges and has accused prosecutors of being "totally unprofessional".

He was one of three people who resigned under pressure from the protesters. They also singled out the mayor of the Bucharest district, where the nightclub fire occurred, and the country's interior minister.

The protesters chanted "shame on you" and "assassins", and carried banners reading "corruption kills".