Zhang Dingge (right) returns to Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province after completing his disaster relief mission in Turkiye on Feb 20. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Zhang Dingge was greeted with flowers and hugs upon arriving in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, at noon on Feb 20.

The 29-year-old flew home after completing his mission as a rescuer in Turkiye, which was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Feb 6.

Zhang, who is part of a 50-member rescue team, flew from Guangzhou to Istanbul, Turkiye on the afternoon of Feb 11. He was later dispatched to Kahramanmaras, one of the cities most affected by the earthquake.

Kahramanmaras is a city located halfway up a snowy mountain where the temperature in the day can be as low as minus 10 C, according to Zhang.

The adverse weather conditions weren't the only challenge faced during the mission. Zhang and his teammates were also confronted with a limited availability of food - they had nothing to eat but instant noodles brought from China.

"I would have one bowl (of instant noodles) in the morning and another in the evening when I go back to camp," he said, "The damage is severe and everyone is focused on rescue efforts."

Zhang said he once worked for 30 hours in a row in the quake zone.

"Time is life. Search and rescue work should not only give dignity to the dead, but bring hope to the living," he said.

Despite the language barrier, Zhang said he felt that their work was highly recognized by locals who were applauding as they evacuated from the disaster zone.

A native of Yongcheng in Henan province, Zhang came to Taizhou in 2014 before joining the Wenling Blue Sky Rescue Team in early 2016. He has participated in multiple relief missions and served as an instructor in the Wenling Blue Sky Rescue Team.

The massive quake in southeastern Turkiye and northern Syria and others that followed have killed more than 46,000 people, and the likelihood of finding survivors more than two weeks on is extremely remote, said Turkish authorities on Feb 19.