But thousands of people turned out for new protests Wednesday evening demanding early elections and more accountability in government.
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Paramedics carry an injured personfrom the nightclub to a hospital in Bucharest.
Mr. Ponta is the first prime minister to be tried in court while in office, after he was charged of fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering while he was still a lawyer.
The protests were sparked by a nightclub fire that broke out on Friday night, killing 32 people and injuring 185.
The ensuing political fallout has already claimed Ponta who is awaiting trial on charges of corruption made in June. Alluding to widespread corruption and indolence, he said that if rules and norms about fire regulations had been respected “nobody would have died”. Many Romanians also suspect authorities of taking bribes to overlook the violations.
Rallies are also said to be taking place in cities across the country.
Mass protests following Friday’s (October 30) deadly nightclub fire, appear to have been the final straw. “The most likely scenario going forward is that the Social Democrats will continue to rule with another prime minister until next year’s elections”.
It has fallen on the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to try to resolve the crisis. “This a serious matter and we promise a quick resolution of the situation”, Dragnea told reporters in parliament.
Current president Klaud Iohannis, who described the venue as “completely unfit” to host a concert, will name an interim prime minister.
News reports that around 20,000 people were among the protests in Bucharest.
“We have turbulence, uncertainty, and unrest”, he said.
The deputy leader of the opposition Liberal Party, Catalin Predoiu, welcomed the resignations, saying that “this is a victory of the street” and a “lesson for all politicians”.
The Romanian health minister recently stated that the death toll following the fire could double due to the release of toxic gas caused by the fire. The latter said in a statement he feels morally guilty for what happened on Halloween night, aware that this was the explosion was the deadliest in the history of the country.
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Ponta said, “I do not want, nor do I think it is fair, to leave this responsibility on those who have been in the field or on the mayors, secretaries of state, ministers”.
