A high-ranking employee of an Italian intelligence agency has been found dead on a street near his hotel in Paris, though investigators have ruled out any foul play for now, sources close to the inquiry said Tuesday.

The 50-year-old man has been identified as a "high-ranking civil servant in Italian intelligence," one source told AFP.

His body was discovered Sunday night in the northern 18th district of Paris, not far from the hotel he had been staying in since May 3.

He was found in a pool of vomit, and had a gaping wound on his chin, possibly suffered during a fall, according to investigators.

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an inquiry, but for the time being nothing indicates a potential murder.

"We're talking about a classic search for the cause of death," a source close to the inquiry said.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica, citing Italian embassy sources, reported that the man died of natural causes, while Italian news agency AGI said the man had suffered a heart attack.