BALI’S Mount Agung has erupted again today, just days after the alert status was lowered for locals in the area.

Photos have been posted on social media today, showing a 1.5 kilometre ash column above the volcano.

So far, the ash cloud is not affecting flights in and out of Bali but authorities are watching the situation as it develops.

It comes after Qantas just recently introduced a new daily Melbourne – Denpasar (Bali) service from 23 June 2018 with fares available for sale now.

Together with Jetstar the Qantas Group will now offer customers 84 return services to Bali from across Australia – the largest international airline group to operate into the island.

Indonesian authorities recently lowered the alert status of the volcano from the highest level following a significant decrease in activity and say thousands of people who have fled its slopes for government shelters may return home.

More than 140,000 people fled the area around the mountain after its alert status was raised to the highest level on September 22, indicating an eruption may be imminent.

The decision to downgrade Agung’s status was made after several scientific indicators showed a drastic decrease in activity in the past month.

All villagers who evacuated from its slopes could return home as the radius of the volcano’s danger zone had also decreased from 6km to 4km from its crater, Ignasius Jonan, the minister of energy and natural resources, said.

“People’s activities as well as tourism in Bali has been declared safe and there will no more disruption related to the volcano at this time,” Jonan said.

The government volcano agency said smoke and tremors from the 3031-metre volcano, which indicate rising magma, have reduced significantly, but Agung remained on the second-highest alert level.

Indonesian officials first raised the highest alert five months ago, when seismic activity increased at the mountain.

Agung, near Bali’s tourist hotspot of Kuta, last erupted in 1963, killing about 1100 people.