The police commander in charge of security for the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was found dead in his hotel room, the Swiss ATS news agency reported on Tuesday citing local police.

Police said evidence indicated that Markus Reinhardt had apparently committed suicide.

Local officials refused to comment on the causes of the incident but called it "a human tragedy."

Reinhardt, 61, has been head of Graubuenden's cantonal police since 1984.

The head of the cantonal government said the security at the five-day global economic forum, which starts on Wednesday and hosts 2,500 of the world's business and political elite, would not be affected by the tragedy.

The Davos Forum is the brainchild of Swiss professor Klaus Schwab.

The event started in 1971, when it was known as the European Management Symposium, and was aimed at streamlining European business strategies.

Over the years, the event widened its agenda and is now run as a not-for-profit member-based organization.

PARIS, January 26 (RIA Novosti)