At least 21 people were killed in north-central Nigeria on Thursday when their homes were destroyed by heavy rains and nearly a dozen were missing, the local emergency agency said.

Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told Reuters that 50 houses were submerged in water in two communities in the state.

"Twenty-one bodies have so far been recovered in the incident, while over 10 persons were still missing as the search and rescue operation continued," Hussaini told Reuters.

Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April.