BOGOTÁ.- "The scare of my life," "a terrifying roar," and an earthquake that "seemed to last an eternity" are some of the expressions used by survivors to describe the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that shook western Colombia this Monday, leaving at least 111 dead, dozens injured, and buildings collapsed. The quake began at 7:34 (local time) with its epicenter near San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó. Although it was a deep earthquake, its effects were severe in cities like Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Quibdó, where emergency teams work amid damaged buildings and collapsed structures. "We are used to earthquakes, but this one seemed to last an eternity," was one of the first testimonies collected after the quake, which surprised millions of people as they started their morning activities. A man in a taxi in Bogotá recounted that the vehicle began to shake shortly after 7:34. "We got out and the ground was moving under our feet," he said. From the street, he observed trees, traffic lights, and buildings swaying as residents evacuated their homes and workplaces to gather outside. People search for survivors among the rubble of collapsed houses after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia Jaime Saldarriaga - AFP Another testimony came from Medellín, where a woman said she felt the earthquake from the seventh floor of a building. "The earthquake was very strong and lasted a long time. It felt like the glass was about to break; everything was trembling," she recounted. The woman said she was "paralyzed" during the initial moments and didn't know how to react. She eventually left the building and found herself among a crowd gathered on the street, worried about their homes and pets. A vehicle is crushed by debris after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia Juan Diaz - AP In Cali, one of the most affected cities, testimonies described scenes of confusion and destruction. Franco Coppoli, a literature professor who was in the city, said the tremors began around 7:30 and were "very strong and prolonged." "We left the house where we were, a new construction that was severely damaged," Coppoli recounted. According to his account, the earthquake lasted more than a minute, and after evacuating with others, he saw part of a building collapse in front of them. "Without electricity or water in the homes, internet only intermittently available, and a yellow fog in the air, a sign of the collapses," described the professor, referring to the aftermath of the quake. Residents and rescue teams search among the debris of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia Santiago Saldarriaga - AP There, Argentine Leonel Cerrudo was awakened by the first tremors. "The scare of my life. I had experienced some tremors here in Cali before, but of five points, normal movements; we in Argentina are not used to it, I am still a bit shocked," he told LN+. Cerrudo was on the fifth floor of a building when the movement started and decided to evacuate. "I managed to go down, everything was moving, but I got out. From my house, I saw everything collapsing from above," he recounted. Although the building did not completely collapse, it suffered severe damage. "All the walls opened up. The cracks in all the walls of the entire building were all open. In fact, the firefighters started coming," he said. The earthquake also destroyed some of his belongings and work equipment. "Then I start to look at all the things that got damaged and I say, well, material things are fine, I have my life, but four years of effort went in a second," he affirmed. Cerrudo also questioned Cali's preparedness for such an event. "Cali is not prepared for any attack of this magnitude," he stated. The Argentine was later taken to a hotel with the help of an acquaintance, though he said he remains worried about the possibility of further tremors. "No one guarantees that I will be okay here where I am," he said. Evacuated patients in Cali, one of the cities most affected by the earthquake in Colombia Santiago Saldarriaga - AP In that district, images shared on social media showed the extent of the emergency. One video shows part of a department building collapsing while people on the street scream and run to get away. Another shows people fleeing from a hospital as part of the facade collapses onto the surroundings. The scenes show parked ambulances and workers and patients trying to stay safe. One of the most critical points was the Cali University Hospital, where four floors of an wing housing pediatrics and intensive care services collapsed. The hospital director, Irne Torres, described the situation as "a drama within the drama" and confirmed at least one death and 10 people trapped among the rubble. He also warned that the number of victims could increase. "The collapse affects 30% of the structure and particularly the pediatrics and intensive care wing," Torres said. "We cannot receive more patients and we need blood." According to the director, all hospitalized patients were evacuated to the hospital gardens due to structural damage. The center, one of the main public health facilities in southwestern Colombia, was unable to admit new patients. The emergency also affected other medical centers. A surgeon from Valle Salud Clinic in Cali issued an urgent plea for help shortly after the quake. "Everyone who can come to help, come to Valle Salud Clinic. I have many intensive care patients trapped, we need to get them out, the hospital collapsed," doctor Juan Gallego wrote on social media. Agencies ANSA and AP and newspaper El País Colombia Earthquake