Algeria's Culture Minister ­Meriem Merdaci resigned on Saturday, following the deaths of five young music fans in a stampede at a packed concert by rapper Soolking in the capital, the president's office announced.

It said Merdaci handed her resignation to interim president Abdelkader Bensalah "who accepted it."

On Friday, Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui fired the head of the National Office of Copyright and Neighboring Rights, the public authority in charge of organizing concerts.

An investigation has been opened amid charges on social media of security failings.

Thursday night's stampede that killed five people aged between 13 and 22 came as fans thronged an entrance of the August-20 Stadium in Algiers where France-based Soolking was performing.

The president's office later Saturday also announced the dismissal of Algeria's police chief, Abdelkader Kara Bouhadba, who was only appointed in February. 

No official reason was given for his replacement by Kalifa Ounissi but a security source said it was likewise "linked to the Soolking concert."

Soolking, 29, is a major star in the North African country.

Many Algerians have blamed poor security for the stampede, which also left more than 20 people injured. 

Linda Chebbah, a journalist who was at the concert, told the BBC TV that from the beginning the concert looked like something was wrong.

"There were way too many people for this stadium. People were jostling for space. I'm not surprised an accident happened," she said.