Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera took office as Chile’s president on Thursday, tasked with rebuilding the country after a massive earthquake killed hundreds of people just 12 days ago.

A series of strong aftershocks rattled central Chile just minutes before Pinera was sworn in in the Congress building in the coastal city of Valparaiso.

Visiting dignitaries looked nervously at the ceiling but the inauguration went forward as normal. In the capital of Santiago some buildings were briefly evacuated.

The navy issued a tsunami alert along the coast. Sirens sounded in Constitucion, one of the strongest-hit cities in the February 27 quake and police ordered people away from beaches.

Chileans hope the Harvard-trained economist can use his business skills to help one of Latin America’s most stable economies rebound from the quake, which was followed by a tsunami that devastated coastal villages.

The 8.8-magnitude quake killed hundreds of people and caused infrastructure damage across much of south-central Chile, threatening to undermine Pinera’s election pledges to boost economic growth to 6 percent a year and to create a million jobs.