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

Reports place 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 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 regarding the job losses, but one was anticipated soon.

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