New Chile quake as Pinera sworn in as president

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BBC correspondent Andy Gallacher: "Pinera has a huge job on his hands"

Sebastian Pinera has been sworn in as president of Chile, minutes after it was hit by the largest aftershock since last month's devastating earthquake.

The 7.2-magnitude tremor was centred in O'Higgins Region, some 140km (90 miles) south of the city of Valparaiso, where the inauguration ceremony took place.

The National Congress building was evacuated shortly afterwards and a tsunami alert issued for coastal areas.

Mr Pinera's presidency ends two decades of left-wing rule in Chile.

The tycoon not only faces the challenge of reconstruction, but takes over from the highly-popular Michelle Bachelet.

Ms Bachelet left office with an 84% popularity rating despite criticism of her government's response to the 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami, which left close to 500 people dead.

I'm leaving office with sadness for the suffering of our people, but also with my head held high, satisfied with what we have accomplished Michelle Bachelet Outgoing president

Earlier, Chile's disaster management chief resigned, six days after the head of the navy's oceanography service was dismissed for failing to provide a clear warning of the tsunami.

A BBC correspondent in the capital, Santiago, says buildings there shook and people rushed out on to the streets after Thursday's tremor.

However, there have so far been no reports of any damage.

The National Emergency Office warned people in coastal areas extending from Coquimbo, 500km north of Santiago, to Los Lagos, 1,000km to the south, to seek higher ground in case of a tsunami.

But the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, said the aftershocks were too small to cause "a destructive widespread tsunami".

The inauguration ceremony in the port city of Valparaiso, which houses the National Congress, was intended to be an austere affair. The planned dinner was cancelled and the whole event scaled back out of respect for victims of the quake.

Ms Bachelet, Chile's first woman president, was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.

She handed the red, white and blue presidential sash to Mr Pinera, whose election win ended 20 years of centre-left rule in Chile.

Reconstruction

"I'm leaving office with sadness for the suffering of our people, but also with my head held high, satisfied with what we have accomplished," she said in her farewell address.

The leaders of Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Bolivia were among the dignitaries to attend the inauguration.

Seldom can an incoming president have faced such a massive and immediate challenge, says the BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago.

Many people have been made homeless by the quake, with about half a million homes destroyed.

"We won't be the government of the earthquake, we'll be the government of reconstruction," the 60-year-old billionaire said recently.

Last month, the conservative leader named his cabinet, leaving out any figures linked with the former military ruler, Augusto Pinochet.

In his election campaign, Mr Pinera said he would focus on boosting economic growth and producing jobs while continuing with the outgoing president's social policies.

Mr Pinera is one of the country's richest men. He made his fortune introducing credit cards to Chile, then went on to buy a television channel, a stake in Chile's most successful football club, and put millions of dollars into other investments.