Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek said with the death of its citizen, the Czech Republic has joined the ranks of countries that have suffered losses in what he described as a war unleashed by international terrorists against the civilized world.

Three blasts in Sharm-el-Sheikh killed 88 people, according to hospital workers, while government officials confirmed 64 deaths. The Czech victim was named in press reports as Petr Kořán from Ústí nad Labem, north Bohemia. One other Czech man was slightly injured.

Several hundred tourists returned to this country July 25 from Egypt after cutting short their vacations, but newspapers reported that a similar number who had already paid for package deals left for Sharm-el-Sheikh the same day — despite a Foreign Affairs Ministry warning that citizens should avoid the resort for the time being.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Richard Krpáč said an "increasing number of Czechs [are] traveling to exotic destinations. And with exotic destinations come exotic threats."

Tourism expert Jaromír Beránek of Mag Consulting said the number of Czechs vacationing abroad rose from 3.3 million in 2003 to an estimated 4 million this year, with some making more than one trip.

Dan Plovajko, a spokesman for Fischer, a leading travel agency, said, "Czechs are indeed interested in exotic and Muslim destinations. Egypt and Turkey are among the most popular places." Plovajko added, "There is no place today where you can be 100 percent safe. Look at what happened in London or Madrid," cities also targeted by deadly suicide bombings.

In the wake of the Egypt blasts, Interior Minister František Bublan announced July 25 that police will carry out more vehicle searches for explosives and weapons. Security had already been raised following the July 7 suicide bombings on a bus and metro trains in London that killed 56.