MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia — Towering clouds of hot ash gushed from the mouth of Indonesia's deadly volcano today, forcing motorists in cities 20 miles away to use their headlights in daylight and raising concerns about aviation safety.

The death toll climbed to 44.

As rocks and ash rained from the sky, soldiers helped load thousands of frightened villagers into trucks for a second day, including those seeking shelter in crowded emergency shelters.

Merapi's more than a dozen powerful blasts and thousands of volcanic tremors and ash bursts since Oct. 26 temporarily shut nearby airports and — in recent days — closed air routes affected by the ash.

With no winds early Thursday, white clouds shot a spectacular 20,000 feet into the sky. Gusts later carried the smoke westward, with cities and towns up to 150 miles dusted in white power.

Scientists said pressure apparently building inside Merapi's crater may mean the worst is yet to come.