The Whyalla steelworks in South Australia has begun cutting hundreds of jobs after its blast furnace did not restart.

Reports put the number of positions at risk at 500 or more, with some saying over 600. The full scale of the cuts has not been confirmed.

At least 146 workers are confirmed as having lost their jobs permanently.

The furnace shutdown forced the company to make the cuts. The steelworks has not yet made an official announcement about the job losses, but one was anticipated soon.

The job cuts follow the failed restart of the blast furnace on site.