Concepcion (Chile), March 7 (IANS/EFE) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday visited the Chilean city of Concepcion, one of the worst affected by the Feb 27 earthquake.

Ban went to Concepcion's so-called 'ground zero' in the city's downtown area, and said he was 'astonished' by the destruction wrought by the magnitude-8.8 earthquake in the capital of the Bio Bio region, some 500 km south of Santiago.

As of Friday, Chilean authorities had identified 452 victims out of all those killed in the quake.

Ban admired the 'leadership' of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and of her successor, President-elect Sebastian Pinera, and said that both are working 'very closely together to heal this tragedy'.

'I'm convinced that with courage and strong determination they will be able to build a new future,' Ban said, and expressed to the Chilean people his 'hope and solidarity'.

Ban was accompanied by Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez, and the executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Alicia Barcena.

Fernandez stressed Ban Ki-moon's commitment to Chile, and said that 'he wants to be an advocate' for the country and look out for its interests after the catastrophe.

She said Ban will report on Chile's situation at the UN General Assembly, to be held Wednesday at UN headquarters in New York.