Venezuela earthquakes live updates: At least 164 dead, almost 1,000 injured after massive twin tremors

American Jason Wang said he had just finished hiking in Venezuela and was about to board a cable car when the earthquakes hit.

"The whole building just started shaking. The floor under me was shaking, and then all of a sudden, everyone was panicking," he told ABC News Live. "We were just rushing for the door to exit the building, and none of us knew what was going on until a few minutes afterwards."

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'Everyone started panicking': American in Venezuela recounts moment earthquakes hitJason Wang, who was about to board a cable car when the earthquakes hit, said he felt a "huge sense of relief" once he was back at his hotel and able to communicate with family.

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Wang said locals helped him evacuate off the mountain.

"All of the locals were just so kind," he said. "Some people [were] cutting down the trees that fell on the road to create a tunnel for us to get past, ‘cause there was really no other way to go down a mountain. We had to walk 10 kilometers from the top back to the city center."

Wang said he felt a "huge sense of relief" once he was back at his hotel and able to communicate with family.

Secretary of State Rubio said he spoke with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and he said the U.S. is sending search and rescue teams.

“We’re maybe already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There'll be some others we'll add,” Rubio said.

"That’s their most immediate need right now, is search and rescue efforts. They have a bunch of collapsed buildings, and so they'll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that,” he said.

"The airport there is badly damaged, so we'll have to rely on the Department of War to deploy assets there, and then we're also helping them with some overhead imagery, especially in coastal areas where they don't have full visibility over what the damage has been and what the impact has been,” Rubio said.

He said the administration would have "a better assessment" of Venezuela’s longer-term needs “when we're on the ground.”

Rubio declined to put a dollar amount on the aid the U.S. would commit to Venezuela, saying it was too soon.

He said Qatar, El Salvador, Chile and other countries have also offered to help.

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston

At least 164 people were dead and another 971 people were injured after two strong earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, acting President Delcy Rodriguez said early on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

-ABC News' Jamie Dorrington

Emergency crews were searching early on Thursday through rubble in Venezuela for potential survivors after two strong quakes struck on Wednesday evening.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said she had declared a state of emergency, saying the quakes had turned at least one area -- the state of La Guaira -- to a "disaster zone."

"Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, about 30 kilometers north of Caracas, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives," she said during a televised address, according to The Associated Press.

She said there was severe damage in the capital Caracas and other areas in the aftermath of the quakes.

Rodriguez said her office received reports of at least 32 deaths and more than 700 injuries.