The Whyalla steelworks in South Australia has begun cutting hundreds of jobs after its blast furnace failed to restart.

Reports put the number of positions at risk at 500 or more, with some saying over 600. The full scale of the cuts is not yet clear.

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

The furnace shutdown pushed the company into making the cuts. The steelworks has not yet made an official announcement regarding the job losses, but one was anticipated soon.

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