At least three major aftershocks rocked central Chile on Thursday, striking minutes before its president-elect was sworn into office to take charge of a country still reeling from a devastating earthquake nearly two weeks ago.

Chile's Navy rapidly issued a tsunami alert, and Chilean television carried reports of residents of coastal areas fleeing for higher ground. There were no immediate reports of damage, but in the capital of Santiago, 95 miles north of the epicenters, windows rattled, buildings trembled and cell phone service went down.

In the coastal city of Valparaiso, about 90 miles from the site of Thursday's earthquakes, dignitaries who gathered for the inauguration of President Sebastian Pinera made nervous jokes and glanced at the shuddering ceiling of the congressional building as the quakes hit, according to news reports. (SFGATE.COM)