The helicopter disappeared from radar in Castelpagano di Apricena, a rural area of the Puglia region, sparking search efforts by the air force and fire brigade.

The deputy head of the Puglia region, Raffaele Piemontese, later confirmed it had been found and all seven people on board had been killed, Corriere della Sera said.

Among the dead were a family of four from Slovenia, including a 13-year-old girl, the newspaper said.

The other victims were a local doctor and the helicopter’s two pilots, it said.

The helicopter was flying as part of a daily service between Foggia in Puglia and the Tremiti Islands off the Italian coast, when it ran into bad weather.

The mayor of the islands, Peppino Calabrese, told media that the doctor decided at the last minute to take the helicopter rather than the ferry “because of the bad conditions at sea”.

“Our community is in shock. Nothing like this has happened in 30 years of service,” he said.