New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS): President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami to take stock of the situation after the state was hit by cyclone Gaja killing 45 people.

"Spoke to the Chief Minister and inquired about the situation in the aftermath of cyclone Gaja, expressed condolences to bereaved families. People and government of India are standing by those in distress in the state," tweeted the President, who is on a week-long visit to Vietnam and Australia.

Speaking to reporters at Salem, about 350 km from Chennai, Palaniswami on Sunday said that 45 persons had died in the cyclone and 117,624 houses damaged. He added that 88,102 hectare of crop and 39,938 electricity poles were damaged in the cyclone.

Gaja, which crossed Tamil Nadu's coastal districts Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on Friday, left a trail of destruction affecting Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts.