STORM2K

I was reading this Wikipedia Article and came across the following:

The landslides caused by the quake carried 80 million tons (40 million cubic yards) of rock, mud and debris down into the valley and created hurricane force winds strong enough to toss cars.

Is this accurate? If so, how is it possible that a massive earthquake/landslide can cause hurricane force winds capable of tossing cars? Can any pro mets or seasoned amateurs take the time to explain how this is possible if this Wikipedia claim is accurate?

I would guess that the massive amounts of land and debris moved down into the valley rapidly and thus pushed the air in front of it out of the way. If the valley is very narrow, much air has to get away in a short time frame and can only escape to a single direction. This channeling effect can locally increase wind speeds dramatically.
For example, when there are gale-force winds blowing through a city and the wind has to push through a narrow gap between two buildings, you can measure hurricane-force gusts there.

I don't know if landslides can really cause car-tossing-winds but I could imagine that strong gusts can't be ruled out.