TAIPEI: Emergency crews scrambled on Saturday to restore power to tens of thousands of homes in Taiwan after Typhoon Champi's fierce winds battered the island, with the storm moving towards China and Japan.

Authorities evacuated more than 5,000 people from their homes ahead of the storm, which toppled trees, brought down power lines, and triggered brief flooding.

One person has been killed and more than 500 injured since Thursday, when the government began issuing warnings about the approaching typhoon.

Around 56,000 households are still without power as Champi continues to buffet the island, with nearly 24cm of rain recorded in the western county of Miaoli on Saturday.