LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State Police said caseloads are up 25 percent at their crime labs since they took over the work of the Detroit police lab, which was shut down last year.

Authorities used words like "Armageddon" when describing the problem to state lawmakers Tuesday.

State police officials said many of the state's 216 forensic scientists are working up to 30 hours of overtime in each two-week pay period to keep up with caseloads.

The state's backlog of forensic cases continues to grow.

The Detroit Police Department's lab was shut down in September after an audit found errors in 10 percent of 200 random gun cases.

The state hopes to hire 45 more workers, but it can take two years to train new scientists.