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President Vaclav Havel cut short his holiday in Portugal on Wednesday, and returned to Prague for talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla. Earlier Mr Spidla appeared on television, appealing for people to remain calm, co-operate with the authorities and not hamper rescue efforts. In a statement broadcast by national television Mr Spidla thanked the Czech people for facing a grave situation with "great courage and great vigour". Mr Havel was later seen on television walking across Charles Bridge.

A state of emergency is in force in the Czech Republic where the Czech capital Prague and other parts of the country have been hit by the worst floods in over a century. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes. In Prague the River Vltava broke its banks in the early afternoon spilling over into parts of the Old Town and flooding some residential areas on the riverside . The authorities ordered the evacuation of 50 thousand people from their homes before noon on Tuesday but many people were reluctant to move for fear of looting. Several cases of looting have already been reported. Electricity and phone lines are down in many parts of the Czech capital. Parts of Prague have been closed off, public transport is restricted and soldiers are patrolling the deserted areas in an effort to prevent further looting. Over one thousand soldiers, firefighters and thousands of volunteers are helping to deal with this natural disaster.

Emergency shelters have been set up in many parts of the country and psychologists are helping flood victims to deal with the crisis. It is not yet clear how many people may be left homeless. According to the authorities it may take up to four days for water levels to return to normal. Telephone help lines and counseling centers are working around the clock. The mayor of Prague has advised people not to return to their homes prematurely since parts of the Czech capital are expected to remain without electricity and gas, clean water and food supplies for some time.

Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla called a state of emergency in five regions in Bohemia on Monday. In a public address on Czech Radio, Mr Spidla stated that the damage caused by heavy floods in Prague, Central Bohemia, South Bohemia, and the Pilsen and Carlsbad districts was extensive enough to threaten the property, health, and lives of citizens. The state of emergency has been called to run from 1800 hrs on Monday to midnight on August 22nd, meaning that anyone other than rescue workers is prohibited to enter restricted and evacuated zones and evacuated citizens are compelled to report their temporary places of residence to the authorities.