At least 110 people have died in floods caused by torrential rain in central Nigeria, officials have told the BBC.

The downpours lasted for several hours, said the head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (Nsema), Abullahi Baba-Arah.

He added that “surging flood water submerged and washed away over 50 residential houses with their occupants” in the town of Mokwa.

The Nigerian government has expressed its “profound sorrow” over the floods, with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, saying that security and emergency agencies have been directed to assist in the search and rescue operation.

According to Nsema, the Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa districts of Mokwa were worst affected.

Mokwa’s District Head, Muhammad Shaba Aliyu, said it has been “60 years” since the community had suffered this kind of flooding.

“I beg the government to support us,” Mr Aliyu said.

The search and rescue operation is still ongoing and many more people are still at risk, authorities say.

A local fisherman told the AFP news agency that he had been left homeless.

“I don’t have a house to sleep in. My house has already collapsed,” Danjuma Shaba said.

Nigeria often experiences flooding during the rainy season, which usually lasts from April to October.

The authorities have warned of heavy downpours in at least 15 of the country’s 36 states.

Last year, many parts of northern Nigeria experienced heavy rainfall and flooding which caused deaths, displacement of people and destruction of houses and infrastructure.

The country also suffered severe flooding in 2022, which forced around 1.3 million people out of the homes and caused more than 600 deaths.

Additional reporting from Cecilia Macaulay