The Mount Merapi volcano in Indonesia erupted today (June 21) spewing ash and hot gas as high as six kilometres into the sky.<br /><br />Footage shows terrified motorists battling through the clouds.<br /><br />Violent rumbling was heard from villagers several miles away as the dark grey ash cloud loomed over homes. <br /><br />The country's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre did not raise Merapi's alert status, which already was at the third-highest level since it began erupting last August.<br /><br />They said the volcano Mount Merapi erupted three times -- at 9:13am, 9:25am and 09:27am western Indonesia time. <br /><br />Head of the Yogyakarta Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG), Hanik Humaida, said: ''The ash column was observed to be gray with a thick intensity leaning towards the west. This eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 75 mm and a duration of 5 minutes 28 seconds.''<br /><br />Mount Merapi is Indonesia's most volatile volcano and is located on the main island of Java.
