A Hong Kong fire services official defended the decision to refuse help from mainland Chinese firefighters during the city's major inferno. The reasoning cited included concerns over adaptability and communication issues in the local environment.

A Hong Kong fire services official has defended a decision to decline mainland Chinese firefighters’ help to combat the city’s deadliest inferno in decades, citing concerns they might be unable to immediately adapt to the new environment and effectively communicate with their local counterparts. On the 12th day of a public evidential hearing on Wednesday, deputy chief fire officer Sunny Wong Sze-lut also justified the firefighting strategies during the blaze that raged for 43 hours and destroyed...