Two missing after boat explodes in Bering Sea

JUNEAU, Alaska (CNN) -- Fighting harsh conditions in the frigid Bering Sea, Coast Guard teams late Sunday searched for two missing crew members of a fishing boat that exploded and caught fire hours earlier.

Of the 26 people who were on board the ship, 24 of them have been rescued.

Lt. Brad Wilson, a Coast Guard spokesman, said members of the crew had suffered burns, broken bones and hypothermia as a result of the explosion and evacuations.

"We don't have any details on what caused it," Wilson said.

Regarding the fate of the two missing crew members, Wilson said search teams were hopeful and had seen a flare in the night sky.

The Seattle-based Galaxy -- a 180-foot vessel -- issued a Mayday at 4:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. EDT) from an area of the Bering Sea near St. Paul Island or roughly 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, according to Wilson.

In addition to a Coast Guard helicopter, three other fishing boats were assisting in the rescue operation -- the Blue Pacific, the Glacier Bay and the Clipper Express. A Coast Guard C-130 was joining the search, Wilson said. It was to provide medical assistance to the crew until they could be evacuated to Anchorage.

Weather conditions in the search area were taxing for the rescue teams.

Wilson said the winds were at 30 to 40 knots with waves of 10 to 15 feet and freezing spray.

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