Quote" "White Island is private land. I suspect that after this accident, the rules may change or it may even be taken over by the government"
That isn't how the Govt works in NZ. They won't take over the island. There will certainly be a look over operations to the island, especially considering the eruption risk recently increased.
People tend to forget that it is VERY active. There are still 10 bodies there somewhere from 1914 when the Sulphur mine disappeared in a mud slide. Only the cat survived.
We regularly had Tsunami drills at school. The crater is barely above sea level and if it does blow, the rapid influx of sea water would set up a catastrophic explosion similar but smaller to Krakatoa. In my town we had 4 minutes (from very distant memory!) to get out. So our drill was to hide under our desks. Hmmmmm.
It is an unforgettable experience walking in the crater. Even more so when you come to the end of the path, only to find that the path did continue on the day before but has now been swallowed by the volcano!