Hong Kong rescue team members on Monday said they were honoured to have completed a nine-day operation to help victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey despite challenges such as cold weather and language barriers.

The 59-strong team, comprising firefighters, ambulance personnel, and security officials, returned from their first-ever international rescue mission on Friday night.

The team pulled four survivors from the rubble of some 40 buildings and 13 areas they searched through in the rescue operation following the two massive quakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Yiu Men-yeung, who led the Hong Kong rescue team, said the cold weather was the greatest challenge they faced.

“The weather can easily break down a person if you do not [cope with] it well. So sleeping outside in the tent, you have to bear with the cold weather, you cannot sleep. It’s been the biggest challenge for us,” he said.

Yiu added that the group had learned a lot from the Beijing rescue team that was deployed alongside them. He likened it to an “intern” learning from a "senior".

“We are extremely grateful and fortunate to receive advice from the experienced China team, on the application of technology, strategic planning, as well as operation techniques,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Executive John Lee hosted a banquet at Government House for the SAR rescue team members, describing them as the “pride of Hong Kong”.

He said the close cooperation between the SAR and the national rescue team in the operation was a vivid demonstration of “One Country, Two Systems”.