MUM Susan Pearl's world was turned upside down when a news bulletin informed her of a massive earthquake in the Philippines – where her son is on holiday.

At least five people were killed on Sunday night when an earthquake shook the central Philippines, destroying buildings and triggering landslides which buried dozens of houses, trapping residents.

The 6.8-magnitude quake happened just 50 miles from where Mrs Pearl's son Haydn, 37, is taking part in a poker tournament.

"I was watching the Super Bowl and a bulletin popped up saying what had happened, and being a mum I started to panic of course," said Mrs Pearl, 60, from Churchdown.

"But he sent me a text through soon afterwards telling me he was okay."

She added: "He said he was in bed and he felt the walls shaking. They have had a lot bigger ones over there apparently."

The quake hit at 11.49am local time (3.49am GMT).

Three key bridges in the town suffered cracks and were no longer passable as a result of the aftershocks, and Philippine seismologists briefly issued a tsunami alert for the central islands, but this was later retracted.